Robert Bartolo Receives 2020 ACI Distinguished Service Award

ORLANDO, Fla.—February 6, 2020—Dr. Robert Bartolo, Director of Global Product Stewardship at Procter & Gamble, is the recipient of this year’s American Cleaning Institute (ACI) Elva Walker Spillane Distinguished Service Award. Dr. Bartolo was recognized for his exceptional contributions to the cleaning products industry and to ACI. The 2020 ACI Distinguished Service Award was presented at the ACI’s Annual Meeting and Industry Convention.

Rob Bartolo joined Procter & Gamble in 1988 and over the past 31 years has held a wide range of leadership roles, including regulatory affairs, environmental safety, microbiology, product safety, and statistics. In addition, he was engaged in industry efforts during the 1990s to provide information and data related to the benefits and safety of antiseptic hand hygiene products.

Bartolo has been actively engaged at ACI for several decades in a range of areas including ACI strategic planning, active engagement on the Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC), and providing in-depth “sweat equity” on regulatory and technical issues. He has been a leader in defining ACI’s strategic initiatives as a member of the SAC over the last eight years. He was elected Vice Chair of SAC in January 2013 and was Chair of the Committee from mid-2013 to early 2017. Over the past year, Bartolo has been an active member of ACI’s Strategy Work Group, helping to develop the 2020-2022 strategic plan.

“If you could define selflessness, dedication, and commitment in two words, it would be: Rob Bartolo,” said ACI President and CEO Melissa Hockstad of the 2020 ACI Distinguished Service Award winner. “Rob has provided countless hours of smart, strategic advice, guidance, and leadership that has helped ACI become a more focused, member-driven organization serving the cleaning product supply chain.”

Rob Bartolo graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and received his doctorate in Analytical Chemistry from University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. He is the author of multiple peer-reviewed journal articles covering bacterial resistance, enzyme safety, and skin mildness and has received 19 patents covering fabric treatments, antimicrobial products, and personal cleansing products.

ACI’s Distinguished Service Award is named in honor of the late Elva Walker Spillane, the former National Purity LLC chief executive who served on the association’s Board for 20 years. The award honors an individual for extensive or exceptional service to ACI, who promoted the growth and interests of the Institute and the industries it represents and who exercised outstanding leadership within ACI.

The American Cleaning Institute is the Home of the U.S. Cleaning Products Industry and represents the $60 billion U.S. cleaning product supply chain. ACI members include the formulators of soaps, detergents, and general cleaning products used in household, commercial, industrial, and institutional settings; companies that supply ingredients and finished packaging for these products; and chemical distributors. For more information, visit https://www.cleaninginstitute.org/.