Clorox, the consumer products group, last night announced that Donald Knauss, president of Coca-Cola's North American business, was to become their new chief executive, removing him from the list of potential successors to Neville Isdell, chief executive of Coke.

California-based Clorox, which competes against Unilever and Procter & Gamble, has been without a permanent chief executive since Jerry Johnston retired in May following a heart attack.