Schumacher will succeed Alain Jope, who has announced his intention to retire from Unilever in September 2022.
Schumacher is currently CEO of the global dairy and nutrition business Royal FrieslandCampina and became a non-executive director of Unilever last October. He will become CEO of Unilever on July 1, 2023, after a one-month transition period.
About Schumacher
Schumacher is a business leader with experience at several large companies in the consumer goods industry. As CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, he has implemented significant portfolio and organizational changes as part of transforming the portfolio and organization into a more focused, growth-oriented and sustainable business.
Prior to joining Royal FrieslandCampina as CFO in 2014, Schumacher worked at HJ Heinz for over 10 years, working in the US, Europe and Asia during a time of great change for the company. During his final four years at Heinz, he was based in China and led the revitalization of the Asia Pacific region. Schumacher started his finance career at Unilever before joining Royal Ahold NV.
Unilever Chairman Nils Andersen said: Hein is a dynamic, values-driven business with diverse experience and a proven track record in the global consumer goods industry. He has outstanding strategic capabilities, proven operational efficiency and extensive experience in both developed and developing markets. ”
Andersen continued, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Alan for his leadership of Unilever. Alan will continue to lead Unilever until the end of June as he retires after a successful 37-year career in our business.”
Schumacher said: A business with an impressive global footprint, strong brands in his portfolio, a talented team and an enviable reputation as a sustainability leader. During my time on the Board, I have become increasingly convinced of the strength of Unilever’s fundamentals and its clear growth potential. As we serve billions of people around the world who use Unilever products every day, I will be very focused on working with the Unilever team to improve their performance. ”
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