Unilever has named Hein Schumacher, current CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, as CEO, effective July 1, after a one-month handover period. Schumacher became a non-executive director of Unilever in October of last year.
As CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina since 2018, Schumacher has delivered significant portfolio and organizational change. Prior to his appointment as CEO, he was Royal FrieslandCampina’s chief financial officer for three years.
Before joining Royal FrieslandCampina in 2014, Schumacher worked for H.J. Heinz for over a decade. In 2008, he was appointed chief strategy officer, and in 2013, he was named executive vice president of Kraft Heinz’s Asia Pacific zone, which includes China, Indonesia, India, Japan, and Oceania.
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“We are delighted to welcome Hein as our new chief executive, after an extensive, global search process,” says Unilever Chairman Nils Andersen. “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.”
“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,” says Schumacher. “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.”
