Unilever appoints former Heinz President as new CEO

Unilever has appointed Hein Schumacher as its new Chief Executive Officer, following an "extensive, global search process".

Schumacher will replace Alan Jope, who announced his intention to retire from Unilever in September 2022.

Schumacher is currently the CEO of dairy and nutrition business Royal FrieslandCampina and became a Non-Executive Director of Unilever in October last year. He will begin as Unilever CEO on 1 July 2023, after a one-month handover period.

As CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, Schumacher has delivered "significant portfolio and organisation change as part of transforming it into a more focused, growth-driven and sustainable business". Prior to joining Royal FrieslandCampina as CFO in 2014, he worked for Heinz for over a decade.

Hein Schumacher, newly appointed CEO of Unilever, said: “I am delighted to have been appointed to lead Unilever. In my time serving on the board, I have only become more convinced by the strength of Unilever’s fundamentals and its growth potential. I will be very focused on working with the 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.”

Nils Andersen, Chairman of Unilever, said: “We are delighted to welcome Hein as our new CEO. He 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. 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 thank Alan for his leadership. 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.”