Unilever Announces New Chairman
Unilever has proposed that Dr Marijn Dekkers, one of Europe’s leading global business figures, will succeed Michael Treschow as Chairman of Unilever NV and Unilever PLC. He will be nominated for election to the boards at the Annual General Meetings in April 2016.
Dr Dekkers is currently Chief Executive Officer of Bayer but will step down from this role at the end of April.
Michael Treschow will retire from Unilever at the 2016 AGMs after having served Unilever’s usual maximum tenure of nine years as Chairman. He joined the Unilever Boards in 2007 and was the first independent, non-executive Chairman of Unilever.
Michael Treschow says: “Marijn Dekkers is a highly successful businessman with a formidable track record gained in some of the world’s most competitive industries. I have no doubt that Unilever will greatly benefit from his knowledge, international experience and his strong belief in driving business growth responsibly and in the long term.”
Marijn Dekkers says: “I am honoured to have been invited by the Boards to become Unilever’s Chairman and to help contribute to the purpose, vision and strategy of this Group. It is a great business, with great brands and an unequalled global reach. I know Paul Polman as an outstanding global leader and he and I are looking forward immensely to working together in the future.”
Dr Marijn Dekkers.
Unilever also announced that in addition to Michael Treschow, Hixonia Nyasulu will be retiring from the Unilever Boards at the conclusion of the 2016 AGMs having also served for nine years.
It is proposed that Strive Masiyiwa and Professor Youngme Moon join the Boards as Non-Executive Directors. They will be nominated for election to the Boards at the 2016 AGMs. As previously announced it is also proposed that Graeme Pitkethly will be nominated for election to the Boards as an Executive Director in the role of Chief Financial Officer at the 2016 AGMs.
Strive Masiyiwa is the founder and executive chairman of global telecommunications group Econet Wireless and Youngme Moon is senior associate dean for strategy and innovation, as well as the Donald K. David Professor of Business Administration, at Harvard Business School.
