-KH News Desk (cbedit@imaws.org)
The position of Unilever PLC’s new CEO has been given to Hein Schumacher. On July 1, he will take Alan Jope’s seat.
A non-executive director of Unilever and the CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, Mr. Schumacher currently holds both positions. Mr. Schumacher formerly served as the chief financial officer of the H.J. Heinz Company before joining FrieslandCampina in 2014.
“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,” said Nils Anderson, chairman of Unilever’s board. “He has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness, and strong experience in both developed and developing markets.”
Mr. Jope declared that he would leave Unilever in September 2022. He was appointed CEO in 2019 and has focused much of his time overhauling the company’s portfolio. Most recently, the corporation sold CVC Capital Partners a portion of its tea business for $4.7 billion. The business has also invested in the plant-based food industry. Unilever purchased The Vegetarian Butcher in 2018, and in 2020 it set a target of selling $1 billion worth of plant-based dairy and meat substitutes.
Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Colman’s mustard, Hellman’s mayonnaise, and Knorr stock cubes are among the food brands owned by Unilever.
Over the past year, some investors and experts have conjectured that Unilever may split off what they see to be a weaker food company in order to concentrate on personal products, beauty, and home care.
