Unilever has appointed Hein Schumacher as CEO, succeeding Alan Jope on July 1, 2023. Schumacher will be appointed Unilever CEO designate on June 1, 2023. Jope will step down from the Unilever Board on July 1, 2023.
The move comes as Unilever's most recent (third quarter fiscal 2022) results showed beauty and well-being sales growth of 6.7%, while underlying personal care sales growth totaled 8.9% for personal care during Q3 and 7.5% during the first nine months.
Schumacher is currently CEO of the global dairy and nutrition business, Royal FrieslandCampina, and became a non-executive director of Unilever in October 2022. He previously worked for H.J. Heinz in the United States, Europe and Asia and began his career in finance at Unilever.
Unilever chairman Nils Andersen said,"We are delighted to welcome Hein as our new chief executive, after an extensive, global search process. Hein is a dynamic, values-driven business leader who has a diverse background of experiences and an excellent track record of delivery in the global consumer goods industry. He has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness, and strong experience in both developed and developing markets. The board looks forward to Hein realizing the full potential of Unilever as a winning business which delivers long-term growth and value for all its stakeholders."
Andersen continued, “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Alan for his leadership of Unilever. The changes he has made to the company’s strategy, structure and organisation leave Unilever far better positioned for success. Alan will continue to lead Unilever until the end of June. He will be retiring after a tremendous 37-year career with our business.”
Schumacher said, “I am delighted to have been appointed to lead Unilever. It is a business with an impressive global footprint, a strong brand portfolio, a talented team and an enviable reputation as a leader in sustainability. In my time serving on the board, I have only become more convinced by the strength of Unilever’s fundamentals and its clear growth potential. I will be very focused on working with the Unilever team to deliver a step-up in business performance, as we serve the billions of people around the world who use its products every day.”
