Colgate Elects J. Pedro Reinhard to Board of Directors and Declares Regular Quarterly Dividends

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Colgate-Palmolive Company announced today that J. Pedro Reinhard, former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Dow Chemical Company, has been elected to Colgate's Board of Directors.

Mr. Reinhard brings extensive global business experience to the Colgate Board from his long service at Dow. Having most recently overseen Dow's Latin America and AgroSciences businesses, he has held a variety of senior international, financial and operating leadership positions at Dow since he began his career there in 1970 in Brazil. He served as Finance Director of Dow Europe, Vice President of Dow Europe and Managing Director of Dow in Italy. In 1988 Mr. Reinhard was appointed Treasurer of The Dow Chemical Company and subsequently served as Chief Financial Officer from 1995 to 2005 and Executive Vice President since 1996. Mr. Reinhard has been a director of The Dow Chemical Company since 1995.

Mr. Reinhard holds a degree from the Escola de Administracao de Empresas, da Fundacao Getulio Vargas, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and completed postgraduate studies at the University of Cologne, Germany and Stanford University.

Separately, the Board of Directors of Colgate-Palmolive Company today declared quarterly cash dividends of $.29 per common share, payable on February 15, 2006, to shareholders of record on January 26, 2006. The Company has paid uninterrupted dividends on its common stock since 1895.

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About Colgate-Palmolive: Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. Colgate sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, Elmex, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, Suavitel, as well as Hill's Science Diet and Hill's Prescription Diet pet foods. For more information about Colgate's global business, visit the Company's web site at http://www.colgate.com/.