Wallace will take over on April 2 and Cook will serve as an executive chairman for a period of up to 12 months to oversee the transition, the company said http://pdf.reuters.com/htmlnews/htmlnews.asp?i=43059c3bf0e37541&u=urn:newsml:reuters.com:20190211:nBw9fKvjKa.

Colgate's incoming CEO has been with the company since 1987 and held several positions, most recently as its chief operating officer.

Wallace's appointment comes at a time the company has been struggling to boost profit amidst increasing costs of raw material and a stronger U.S. dollar.

(Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)