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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Unilever boss steps down after HQ move fiasco

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The Hague: Unilever chief Paul Polman is “retiring” from the consumer giant, the firm said on Thursday, a month after it was forced to ditch a controversial post-Brexit plan to move its headquarters from London to the Netherlands.


The Anglo-Dutch group, maker of iconic brands like Marmite and Dove soap, will be headed from January by Alan Jope, the current chief of its huge beauty and personal care department.


“Unilever today announced that CEO Paul Polman has decided to retire from the company,” the company said in a statement, adding that he had been in the post for 10 years. Polman, 62, tweeted that he had decided to “step down from my role as CEO”, adding: “It’s been a great honour to lead this team for the past 10 years and together build a sustainable business that has made a difference to millions of lives.”


“I have no doubts that I will be leaving the company in excellent hands. Under Alan’s leadership Unilever is well-placed to prosper long into the future.”


Neither Unilever nor Polman made any mention of the headquarters plan, but his position had been in doubt since it fell through on October 5. Unilever had faced mounting opposition from key shareholders, including Aviva Investors, Royal London, Columbia Threadneedle, Legal & General Investment Management, Lindsell Train, M&G Investments and Brewin Dolphin. — AFP


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