Meet the new chief executive of Unilever, Alan Jope

INTERNATIONAL – Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever said its Chief Executive Paul Polman was retiring and would be replaced by the head of its beauty unit Alan Jope, 54, from January 1.

Below are the main points from Jope’s biography:

- Born in Scotland

- Bachelor of Commerce with honors from Edinburgh University

- Joined Unilever as a graduate trainee in 1985

- Worked in North America for 14 years, Asia for 13 years

- 1995-1998 VP, Personal Care for Unilever Thailand

- 2001 Graduated from Harvard Business School’s General Management Programme

- 2000-2009 President of Unilever’s Home & Personal Care business in North America, Global Category Leader for several of Unilever’s Foods & Refreshment divisions

- 2009 Chairman of Unilever in Greater China

- 2011 President of Unilever’s businesses across North Asia and member of the Unilever Leadership Executive

- 2013 President of Unilever Russia, Africa & Middle East

- 2014 President of Unilever’s Personal Care business, that unit subsequently became Beauty and personal care division earlier this year

- Married with three children

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