Avon executive resigns amid FCPA probe

An Avon Products Inc executive, who once worked in its audit department, recently resigned amid an ongoing investigation into possible bribery overseas by the cosmetics company, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Photo: Avon

Kerry Carr, who was vice president of Avon's internal audit from June 2003 through August 2005, according to her profile on LinkedIn, left in April, the Journal reported.

An Avon spokeswoman confirmed Carr had left the company but declined to comment further.

More recently, Carr headed Avon's global supply chain finance group, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Carr could not immediately be reached for comment.

U.S. regulators and Avon are investigating whether the company violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which bans U.S. companies from bribing officials overseas.

Avon began its internal probe in 2008 and disclosed the federal investigation in October.

Federal investigators are scrutinizing a draft internal report from 2005 by Avon that flagged concern about the cosmetics seller's compliance with FCPA, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters in February.