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Unilever (UL) is a global consumer goods company that operates in multiple categories and markets worldwide. The company sells a diverse range of products, including beauty and personal care items, home care products, nutrition goods, and ice cream. Unilever's extensive portfolio includes approximately 400 brands, with a strong presence in both developed and emerging markets.
- Personal Care - Offers deodorants, skin cleansing, and oral care products, leveraging innovation for growth.
- Nutrition - Provides cooking aids, dressings, and tea products, focusing on enhancing culinary experiences.
- Beauty & Wellbeing - Focuses on hair care, skin care, Prestige Beauty, and Health & Wellbeing products, driven by brands like Dove and Vaseline.
- Home Care - Sells fabric care and cleaning products, supported by volume growth and commodity cost deflation.
- Ice Cream - Produces a variety of ice cream products, emphasizing operational improvements and innovations.
| Name | Position | External Roles | Short Bio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Fernando Fernandez ExecutiveBoard | Chief Executive Officer (CEO) | Fernando Fernandez is the CEO of Unilever since March 1, 2025 , having previously served as CFO from January 2024. His extensive leadership at Unilever spans over three decades, driving growth and operational excellence. | View Report → | |
Heiko Schipper Executive | Business Group President, Foods | Member of the Supervisory Board at Royal FrieslandCampina N.V. | Heiko Schipper is the Business Group President, Foods at Unilever since May 2024. He previously held executive roles such as Member of the Board of Management & President, Consumer Health Division at Bayer and Member of the Group Executive Board & CEO of Nestlé Nutrition. | |
Mairéad Nayager Executive | Chief People Officer | Mairéad Nayager is the Chief People Officer at Unilever since June 1, 2024. Previously, she served as Chief Human Resources Officer at Haleon plc and Diageo plc from 2015 to 2022. | ||
Maria Varsellona Executive | Chief Legal Officer and Group Secretary | Non-Executive Director at Sandoz | Maria Varsellona is the Chief Legal Officer and Group Secretary at Unilever since April 2022. She has extensive senior legal experience from previous roles at ABB, Nokia Group, Nokia Siemens, Tetra Laval Group, General Electric Oil & Gas, and Nordea Bank. | |
Peter ter Kulve Executive | Business Group President, Ice Cream | Peter ter Kulve is a seasoned executive at Unilever, serving as Business Group President, Ice Cream since May 2019. He joined Unilever in 1988 and has held various leadership roles including President, Home Care and Chief Digital Transformation & Growth Officer, contributing significantly to digital transformation and growth efforts. | ||
Priya Nair Executive | Business Group President, Beauty & Wellbeing | Independent Director at CEAT Tyres | Priya Nair has served as the Business Group President, Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever since January 2024 and has been with the company since 1995. Previously, she was the Global Chief Marketing Officer for the Beauty & Wellbeing division and she also serves as an Independent Director at CEAT Tyres. | |
Richard Slater Executive | Chief Research & Development Officer | Richard Slater is the Chief Research & Development Officer at Unilever since April 2019 and a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive. He has extensive R&D expertise gained from leadership roles at GSK, Reckitt Benckiser, and Boots Healthcare. | ||
Willem Uijen Executive | Chief Supply Chain Officer | Willem Uijen is the Chief Supply Chain Officer at Unilever since January 1, 2025. He previously served as Chief Procurement Officer and held various supply chain leadership roles at Unilever since 1999. | ||
Adrian Hennah Board | Non-Executive Director | Non-Executive Director at J Sainsbury plc; Non-Executive Director at Oxford Nanopore Technologies plc; Independent Member at Council of Imperial College, London | Adrian Hennah is a Non-Executive Director at Unilever, having been appointed in November 2021. He serves as the Chair of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee since May 2024. | |
Andrea Jung Board | Vice Chair and Senior Independent Director | President and CEO, Grameen America Inc.; Non-Executive Director, Apple Inc.; Non-Executive Director, Wayfair Inc.; Director, Rockefeller Capital Management | Andrea Jung has served as the Vice Chair and Senior Independent Director at Unilever since May 2018, playing a key role in governance and executive oversight. She has extensive leadership experience from her active roles as President and CEO of Grameen America and as a board member at Apple Inc., Wayfair Inc., and Rockefeller Capital Management. | |
Ian Meakins Board | Chair of Unilever | Chair of Compass Group PLC; Chair of Rexel SA | Ian Meakins is a seasoned British board leader with extensive global experience, appointed as Non-Executive Director on 1 September 2023 and later succeeding as Chair on 1 December 2023. He has held key leadership roles outside of Unilever, including CEO of Ferguson PLC and Travelex Holdings Ltd, as well as active board roles like Chair of Compass Group PLC and Chair of Rexel SA. | |
Judith McKenna Board | Independent Non-Executive Director | Director at Delta Air Lines, Inc. (since February 7, 2025) | Judith McKenna has served as an Independent Non-Executive Director at Unilever since March 1, 2024 and concurrently participates in the Compensation Committee and Corporate Responsibility Committee since May 1, 2024. Previously, she led Walmart International as President & CEO from 2018 to 2023 and currently holds an external board role as Director at Delta Air Lines, Inc. since February 7, 2025. | |
Nelson Peltz Board | Non-Executive Director | Non-Executive Director at Madison Square Garden Sports Corp.; CEO & Founding Partner at Trian Fund Management, L.P. | Nelson Peltz is an American non-executive director appointed to UL’s Board and Compensation Committee on July 20, 2022. He is also the CEO and Founding Partner of Trian Fund Management, managing approximately 1.5% of UL's issued share capital. | |
Ruby Lu Board | Non-Executive Director | Uxin Limited (Non-Executive Director) ; Yum China Holdings Inc. (Non-Executive Director) ; Volvo Car AB (Board Member) | Ruby Lu is a Non-Executive Director at Unilever, appointed in November 2021. She has further contributed as a member of the Audit Committee since July 2023 and has a broad background in non-executive roles across healthcare, automotive, and other sectors. | |
Susan Kilsby Board | Non-Executive Director | COFRA Holding AG: Non-Executive Director; Fortune Brands Innovations: Chair; Diageo plc: Senior Independent Director; UK Takeover Panel: Member | Susan Kilsby has served as a Non-Executive Director at Unilever since August 2019, contributing through her roles on the Audit Committee and as Chair of the Corporate Responsibility Committee since May 2024. | |
Zoe Yujnovich Board | Non-Executive Director | Zoe Yujnovich serves as a Non-Executive Director at Unilever PLC since 1 March 2025. Previously, she held leadership roles at Shell as Integrated Gas and Upstream Director and at Rio Tinto, including serving as President and CEO of the Iron Ore Company of Canada, demonstrating extensive global transformation experience. |
- Considering the declines in China and Indonesia, what specific measures are you implementing to address the long-standing portfolio and channel issues in these critical markets, and when can we expect to see tangible improvements?
- With the anticipated €0.8 billion in net material inflation concentrated in palm oil, surfactants, and cocoa, how confident are you in achieving your guidance of 3% to 5% underlying sales growth while maintaining gross margins at the new base of 45%?
- Given the upcoming demerger of the Ice Cream business, which you mentioned will have a technical effect on margins of around 90 basis points, how do you plan to offset this impact to ensure continued modest underlying operating margin improvement in 2025?
- You've significantly increased brand and marketing investment to 15.5% of turnover, the highest percentage in over a decade. Can you elaborate on how this heightened investment will drive growth, particularly in the context of slower market growth and increased pricing pressure?
- In light of the subdued start to 2025 and the slower growth anticipated in Q1, what gives you confidence in the expected acceleration of market and sales growth later in the year, and what are the key drivers that will contribute to this improvement?
Notable M&A activity and strategic investments in the past 3 years.
| Company | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
Minimalist | 2025 | Hindustan Unilever Limited signed an agreement in January 2025 to acquire Minimalist, a premium actives-led beauty brand in India, as part of its strategy to evolve its Beauty & Wellbeing portfolio. The transaction is expected to complete by Q2 2025. |
K18 | 2024 | Unilever completed the acquisition of 91.88% of K18, a U.S.-based premium biotech haircare brand, on 1 February 2024, with provisional accounting for assets and liabilities expected to conclude by H1 2024, complementing its Beauty and Wellbeing portfolio. |
Yasso Holdings, Inc. | 2023 | The acquisition of Yasso Holdings, Inc., a premium frozen Greek yogurt brand, was completed on 1 August 2023 and aligns with Unilever's premiumisation strategy within its Ice Cream Business Group, contributing to a net consideration of €675 million for 2023 transactions. |
Nutrafol | 2022 | Unilever completed the acquisition of Nutrafol, the #1 dermatologist-recommended hair growth brand in the U.S., on 7 July 2022; this move integrates a leading hair wellness brand with robust clinical evidence into its Health & Wellbeing portfolio. |
Recent press releases and 8-K filings for UL.
- <b>Strategic Transformation:</b> CEO Fernando Fernandez outlined an agenda to accelerate consumer-driven innovation, optimize the portfolio, and improve market execution to boost brand demand and capital allocation .
- <b>Q1 Performance:</b> CFO Srini Phatak reported 3% underlying sales growth in Q1, with resilient trading delivering a turnover of €14.8bn despite a 0.9% decline from disposals and currency impacts .
- <b>Full-Year Outlook:</b> Guidance was reaffirmed at 3% to 5% underlying sales growth, supported by strong developed market performance and targeted emerging region interventions .
- <b>Operational Enhancements:</b> The call detailed sales force restructuring, progress in digital transformation, and a productivity programme expected to deliver €550 million in savings .
- <b>Capital Returns:</b> The update included details on an ongoing €1.5 billion share buyback .
- <b>Ice Cream Business Separation:</b> Plans for demerger are on track with a Capital Markets Day on September 9 and a final separation scheduled for Q4 2025 .