Unilever CEO Paul Polman and CMO Keith Weed call it quits

Polman has been Unilever CEO for over 10 years and has worked in the consumer goods industry for almost four decades.

Unilever today announced that CEO Paul Polman has decided to retire from the company. Alan Jope, currently the president, beauty & personal care, has been appointed to the position, effective 1 January 2019, with Polman supporting the transition process during the first half of the year.

Polman has been Unilever CEO for over 10 years and has worked in the consumer goods industry for almost four decades.

A successor to the role of president, beauty & personal care will be announced shortly. Jope has led beauty & personal care, Unilever’s largest Division, since 2014 and has been on the company’s Leadership Executive since 2011.

In other news, after close to four decades with Unilever, chief marketing officer Keith Weed is to retire from the business. Weed will leave the FMCG giant in May next year. Unilever has not confirmed who will be stepping up to take on the top marketing role. Weed, 57, has been with the world’s second largest marketer for 35 years. The announcement of his departure comes shortly after the company named Alan Jope to succeed longtime chief executive Paul Polman.

“I've had a hugely enjoyable time at Unilever with many positions in different countries. I've been privileged to work with the best business minds and experts in the world both internally and externally and along the way I've been fortunate to make great friends globally,” says one of Weed's recent Twitter posts.