Hein Schumacher is making a full circle in his specialty food industry career as news broke of his return to Unilever—this time as Chief Executive Officer. Unilever recently announced the appointment of Hein Schumacher as its new CEO, following an extensive, global search process. He will replace Alan Jope, who announced in September 2022 his intention to retire from Unilever.
“I am delighted to have been appointed to lead Unilever. It is a business with an impressive global footprint, a strong brand portfolio, a talented team, and an enviable reputation as a leader in sustainability,” Schumacher commented. “In my time serving on the board, I have only become more convinced by the strength of Unilever’s fundamentals and its clear growth potential. I will be very focused on working with the Unilever 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.”
Currently, Schumacher is the CEO of the global dairy and nutrition business Royal FrieslandCampina and became a Non-Executive Director of Unilever’s Board of Directors in October last year. He will begin as Unilever CEO on July 1, 2023, after a one-month handover period.
Prior to joining Royal FrieslandCampina as Chief Financial Officer in 2014, Schumacher worked for H.J. Heinz for over a decade across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. In his last four years at Heinz, he was based in China, where he led a turnaround of the Asia Pacific zone. Schumacher began his career in finance at Unilever in 1997 before joining Royal Ahold NV.
“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,” Unilever Chairman Nils Andersen said. “He has exceptional strategic capabilities, proven operational effectiveness, and strong experience in both developed and developing markets. The board looks forward to Hein realizing the full potential of Unilever as a winning business which delivers long-term growth and value for all its stakeholders.”
Anderson continued to comment in the press release on Jope’s many contributions as Unilever’s CEO.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Alan for his leadership of Unilever," he said. "The changes he has made to the company’s strategy, structure, and organization 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.”
Check out the full release here for more information on this illustrious industry veteran.
Congratulations to Hein Schumacher as he prepares to take the reins, and we wish Alan Jope all the best in his retirement.
