Unilever Appoints New CEO
Hein Schumacher will replace Alan Jope
January 30, 2023
Unilever has appointed Hein Schumacher as its new chief executive officer. Hein will replace Alan Jope, who announced his intention to retire in September.
Hein is currently CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, a global dairy and nutrition business, and became a non-executive director of Unilever in October 2022. His role as CEO of unilever will commence on 1 July 2023, after a one-month handover period.
Hein is a business leader with an excellent track record across multiple leading companies in the consumer goods industry. As CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, he has delivered significant portfolio and organization change as part of transforming it into a more focused, growth-driven, and sustainable business.
Before joining Royal FrieslandCampina as CFO in 2014, Hein worked for H.J. Heinz for more than 10 years. He was based in China his last four years at Heinz, where he led a turnaround of the Asia Pacific zone. Hein began his career in finance at Unilever, before joining Royal Ahold NV.
“We are delighted to welcome Hein as our new chief executive, after an extensive, global search process," said Unilever chairman Nils Andersen. "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 realising the full potential of Unilever as a winning business which delivers long-term growth and value for all its stakeholders.
“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.”
“I am delighted to have been appointed to lead Unilever," said Hein. "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.”
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