Unilever appoints Hein Schumacher as new CEO

Consumer goods giant Unilever has appointed Hein Schumacher as its new chief executive officer.

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

Hein, who is currently CEO of Dutch dairy business Royal FrieslandCampina, 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.

Unilever said Hein has "an excellent track record" across multiple leading companies in the consumer goods industry. As CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, an €11bn turnover business operating in over 40 countries, "he has delivered significant portfolio and organisation change as part of transforming it into a more focused, growth-driven and sustainable business", it said.

Prior to joining Royal FrieslandCampina as CFO in 2014, Hein worked for H.J. Heinz for over a decade, having begun his career in finance at Unilever, before joining Royal Ahold NV.

Unilever chairman Nils Andersen said: "We are delighted to welcome Hein as our new chief executive, after an extensive, global search process. 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."