Leadership Team
Charles M. Berger
Former Chairman & CEO
1936-2008
Charles M. Berger, who served as chairman and chief executive officer of ScottsMiracle-Gro from 1996 through 2001, died December 6 in New York after an extended illness. He was 72. He is survived by his wife Jane, his three children Cary, Elizabeth and Valerie, and his three grandchildren Hazel, Eleanor and Cooper.
"Chuck’s passing leaves a hole in our Company that cannot be filled," said Jim Hagedorn, current chairman and CEO of ScottsMiracle-Gro. "In our rich 140-year history, Chuck was one of our greatest leaders, someone who helped us chart a new course and is largely responsible for the company as it exists today. While our 6,000 associates grieve his passing, we recognize that his legacy will remain with us for decades to come."
Though he has been absent from day-to-day involvement in ScottsMiracle-Gro since his retirement, Chuck’s impact on our Company and our industry remains evident each day. It was under his leadership that we rapidly increased our investment in advertising and marketing and began to operate as a true consumer products company - not a chemical manufacturer. He understood the unique opportunity that we had to build a relationship with the consumer and worked tirelessly to maximize that potential.
Perhaps Chuck’s greatest legacy was his unquenchable thirst for knowledge " something he used to shape our corporate culture. In the late 1990s, the company built a multimedia, university-style classroom that is aptly named the "Berger Learning Center" in his honor.
Chuck joined Scotts in 1996 after a successful 32-year career at the H.J Heinz Company. He served in three executive roles with Heinz, including chairman and chief executive officer of its India and Italian operations as well as WeightWatchers International.
"Chuck was one of the first people I met when I joined Heinz 30 years ago and I was so impressed by his marketing insights that I asked him to come to Great Britain in 1969 as head of marketing," said Sir Anthony O' Reilly, former Chairman of Heinz. "He went on to make an enormous contribution as CEO of WeightWatchers, Heinz Italy and Heinz India."
Upon joining Scotts, one of the first things Chuck did was to write a document simply titled "Core Convictions." In it, he outlined the twelve convictions he believed were critical to our success. The second of those convictions spoke volumes about his approach to business: "Facts are better than opinions."
"That doesn’t mean I don’t value your opinions," Chuck wrote. "But their value goes way up in my mind when they’re backed up by facts - and especially quantifiable facts."
He was equally passionate about the power of brands. During a speech to a group of marketers in 2000 he told them to "think of the brand as a landmark, a lighthouse, a sign on the highway... it simply isn’t wise to treat an asset that valuable with anything but respect... you have to protect the brand, to enhance the brand and grow the brand... if you are not already, I urge you to become the champion of your brand."
Chuck also cared deeply about the community, becoming highly involved in civic and philanthropic endeavors throughout his career.
Upon his death, he was chairman of the Board of Directors of the Naples Botanical Garden; a member of the executive committee and board of directors of the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples; the North Shore Hospital System in Long Island, NY; the southwest Florida chapters of the Worlds Presidents’ Organization and the Princeton Club; as well as the Harvard Club of Naples. He was previously a director of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Columbus, Ohio; the National Board of World Presidents’ Organization; Buckley Country Day School in Roslyn, NY; the American School of Milan and the Harvard Business School Club of Milan.
Whether he was speaking to community organizations, professional groups or the associates of ScottsMiracle-Gro, Chuck was always eloquent yet not intimidated to use the words of others to make a point. He was just as likely to quote a philosophy as he was literature. And it was common for him to quote famous baseball players, entertainers and historical figures from both business and politics.
Even during his own retirement party in 2001, Chuck couldn’t pass up an opportunity to use the words of others to teach. During his farewell speech, he said the following:
"The Chinese philosopher Lao Tze offered lessons about leadership that still ring very true for me. He said when the master leader governs, the people are hardly aware that he exists. And when the leader’s work is done, the people say, ‘Amazing what we’ve done - all by ourselves."
Indeed, our company did accomplish a great deal under Chuck’s leadership. For that, we are eternally grateful.