Unilever Appoints Two Senior Level Executives to New Positions; Michael Polk to Lead Unilever's Foods and Home and Personal Care
13 Oktober 2005 - 2:30PM
Business Wire
Unilever today announced that Michael Polk, 44, has been named
Group Vice President, Unilever United States, reporting directly to
John Rice, Unilever President, Americas, and Alan Jope, 41, has
been appointed Group Vice President, Global Spreads, Cooking
Products & Dressings, Foods Category reporting directly to
Vindi Banga, Unilever President, Global Foods Category. Prior to
this, Polk and Jope co-led Unilever's U.S. business as Group Vice
President, Foods, U.S., and Group Vice President, Home and Personal
Care, U.S., respectively. Both will be immediately transitioning to
their new positions, which are effective January 1, 2006. "Over the
past six months we've been organizing to win in the U.S. by
combining our Foods and Home and Personal Care businesses. Mike's
appointment marks our commitment to building a single U.S.
powerhouse that fully leverages our scale and growth potential in
the region. With key management positions, business operations and
functions in place, the timing is right for us to announce a single
leader for our U.S. business," said John Rice, Unilever President,
Americas. "Mike is a 21 year veteran in our industry. Since joining
Unilever in 2003, he has done a great job driving growth on our
U.S. foods business. With his proven track record, depth of
experience, and instinctive understanding of consumer insights,
brand marketing and business development, Mike is a terrific choice
to lead Unilever's charge to build a more competitive and dynamic
organization in the U.S." Polk will be based in Unilever's United
States headquarters in Englewood Cliffs. "Alan Jope, with over 20
years of experience within Unilever, brings strong leadership, an
extensive marketing background and business experience in Unilever
in Europe, Asia and North America. It was his leadership and
passion for winning, that successfully fueled our Home and Personal
Care business in the U.S. back to growth in the first half of this
year," said Vindi Banga, Unilever President, Global Foods Category.
"I am confident that he will bring this same passion to our Global
Spreads, Cooking Products & Dressings Category." Jope will be
based in Englewood Cliffs. Prior to joining Unilever in July 2003,
Polk spent 16 years at Kraft Foods with his last position as Group
Vice President, Kraft Foods North America and President of the
Biscuits, Snacks and Confections Segment. He held a variety of
other leadership positions at Kraft including Group Vice President
Kraft Foods International and President, Asia Pacific Region,
Executive Vice President and General Manager Post Cereals, and Vice
President of Category Sales Management and Strategy for Kraft Foods
North America. Before joining Kraft, Polk spent three years at
Procter & Gamble in Manufacturing and Research &
Development. Polk earned his B.S. in Operations Research and
Industrial Engineering from Cornell University and holds a M.B.A.
from Harvard Business School. Jope joined Unilever in 1985 and
worked in a number of Sales and Marketing roles in London and
Connecticut until 1995. From 1995-1998 Jope served as Division
Director for Unilever Thailand where he built the Thai Personal
Products and the Asia-Pacific Hair Care businesses. From 1999-2000
Jope was in Chicago as Vice President of Marketing for Unilever's
Hair and Deodorant businesses. He earned a Bachelor of Commerce
with Honors from Edinburgh University, Scotland. In addition, he
graduated from Harvard Business School's General Manager Program in
2001. Jope currently serves as Chair of the US Soap and Detergent
Association. About Unilever Unilever (NYSE: UL, UN), one of the
world's largest consumer products companies, aims to add vitality
to life by meeting everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and
personal care. Each day, around the world, consumers make 150
million decisions to purchase Unilever products. The company has a
portfolio of brands that make people feel good, look good and get
more out of life. In the United States these brands include
recognized names such as: Axe, "all," Ben & Jerry's, Bertolli,
Breyers, Caress, Country Crock, Degree, Dove personal care
products, Hellmann's, Lipton, Knorr, Popsicle, Promise, Q-Tips,
Skippy, Slim-Fast, Snuggle, Suave and Vaseline. All of the
preceding brand names are registered trademarks of the Unilever
Group of Companies. Dedicated to serving consumers and the
communities where we live, work and play, Unilever, globally, has
230,000 employees in almost 100 countries and generated annual
sales of $50 billion in 2004. In the United States, Unilever
employs more than 15,000 people in 74 office and manufacturing
sites in 24 states and Puerto Rico - generating approximately $10
billion in sales in 2004. For more information visit
www.unilever.com or www.unileverusa.com.
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