12th Jan 2007 10:00
Unilever PLC12 January 2007 UNILEVER ANNOUNCES NEW CHAIRMAN Michael Treschow to succeed Antony Burgmans in May 2007 Unilever today announced that Michael Treschow, one of Europe's leading businessfigures, will succeed Antony Burgmans as Chairman of Unilever NV and UnileverPLC at the Annual General Meeting in May 2007. Mr Treschow will be the first person from outside Unilever to hold the office ofChairman and, following the restructuring of the Boards in recent years, will bethe first independent, non-executive Chairman of the company. Mr Treschow is currently the Chairman of both Ericsson and Electrolux, and anon-executive director of ABB Group. He has recently announced that he willstand down in April as Chairman of Electrolux. He is currently the Chairman ofthe Confederation of Swedish Enterprise but will relinquish that position in Maywhen his term expires. He is also a prominent member of both UNICE (the EuropeanEmployers Federation), and the Transatlantic Business Dialogue. As previously announced, Antony Burgmans will retire from Unilever at the 2007AGMs after 35 years distinguished service. He joined the Board in 1991 and in1999 he was appointed Executive Chairman of Unilever NV and Deputy Chairman ofUnilever PLC. In 2005, following a major review of Unilever's governancearrangements, he was appointed the first non-executive Chairman of both parentcompanies. Lord Simon, Deputy Chairman and Senior Independent Director said: "The Board ofUnilever is delighted to make this appointment. The Nomination Committeeconducted a thorough search. We deliberately set the bar high and I'm delightedour efforts have yielded such an excellent result." Antony Burgmans said: "Michael Treschow is a businessman with a formidable trackrecord gained in some of the world's most competitive consumer industries. Hehas already proved himself an effective Chairman and I have no doubt Unileverwill benefit greatly from his knowledge and experience. His internationalreputation, his abiding interest in the development of international businesstogether with his familiarity with cultural diversity, make him an irresistiblechoice to lead Unilever." Michael Treschow said: "I am honoured to have been invited by the Board tobecome Unilever's Chairman and to help build on the transformation that thecurrent management have wrought. It is a great business, with great brands andan unequalled global reach and Patrick Cescau and I are looking forwardimmensely to working together in the future." -ends- January 12, 2007 Biographical details: Antony Burgmans Born in Rotterdam in 1947, Antony studied at Nijenrode in the Netherlands beforegoing on to study political and social sciences at the University of Stockholmin Sweden. He then completed an MA at the University of Lancaster, UK. He joined Unilever in 1972 as a marketing assistant and later went on to holdmarketing and sales positions in the company's detergents businesses inIndonesia and the Netherlands, before being appointed chairman of PT UnileverIndonesia. In 1994 he became chairman of the Europe Committee, which co-ordinatesUnilever's European activities. Four years later he was appointed vice chairmanof Unilever NV and became chairman of Unilever NV in May 1999. In May 2005, hebecame chairman of Unilever NV and PLC. Antony Burgmans is also a member of the supervisory board of Akzo Nobel andnon-executive director of BP. His affinity with wildlife led to his participation in the joint initiativebetween Unilever and the World Wildlife Fund and the setting up of the MarineStewardship Council. He also chaired a CEO Panel at the World Water Forum in TheHague in 2000 and in Kyoto in 2003. Career path 1972: Joined Unilever1976: Sales and planning member, Lever Sunlight Holland1978: Marketing manager, detergents, Unilever Indonesia1980: Marketing controller, Unilever Indonesia1982: Marketing and sales director, Lever Sunlight Holland1985: Marketing director, Lever Sunlight Germany1988: Chairman, Unilever Indonesia1991: Appointed director1991/94: Personal products co-ordinator1994/98: Business group president, Ice Cream and Frozen Foods Europe; chairman of Unilever Europe Committee1998: Vice chairman, Unilever N.V.1999: Appointed chairman of Unilever N.V. and vice chairman, Unilever PLC2005: Elected chairman of Unilever N.V. and PLC Michael Treschow Michael Treschow was born 1943 in Helsingborg, Sweden. He earned a Master ofScience degree from the Institute of Technology in Lund, Sweden Michael Treschow has had a long and distinguished business career, includingspells working in France and the US. He is currently Chairman of the Board ofEricsson. He was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Electrolux Groupuntil April 2002, a position to which he was appointed in 1997. In May 2004 MrTreschow became Chairman of the Board of AB Electrolux. He announced in December2006 that he will not stand for re-election at the company's Annual GeneralMeeting in April 2007. He is also a board member of ABB Group. In addition to Electrolux, Mr Treschow held executive positions at Atlas Copco,where he was chief executive for six years. Mr Treschow has previously held non-executive Board positions at Investor AB,Atlas Copco AB, SKF AB, Saab Automobiles, and at Parker-Hannifin Corp. Michael Treschow is also Chairman of the Board of the Confederation of SwedishEnterprise, a position from which he will stand down in May 2007. About Unilever Unilever's mission is to add vitality to life. We meet everyday needs fornutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people feel good,look good and get more out of life. Unilever is one of the world's leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goodswith strong local roots in more than 100 countries across the globe. Itsportfolio includes some of the world's best known and most loved brandsincluding twelve €1 billion brands and global leadership in many categories inwhich the company operates. The portfolio features brand icons such as: Knorr,Hellmann's, Lipton, Blue Band, Flora/Becel, Bertolli; Dove, Lux, Pond's, Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure; Skip/Persil; Cif and Domestos. Unilever has around 206,000 employees in approaching 100 countries and generatedannual sales of €40 billion in 2005. For more information about Unilever andits brands, please visit www.unilever.com. SAFE HARBOUR STATEMENT: This announcement may contain forward-lookingstatements, including 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of theUnited States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'expects', 'anticipates', 'intends' or the negative of these terms and othersimilar expressions of future performance or results and their negatives areintended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-lookingstatements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regardinganticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are nothistorical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because theseforward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are importantfactors that could cause actual results to differ materially from thoseexpressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, amongothers, competitive pricing and activities, consumption levels, costs, theability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chainsources, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitionsand complete planned divestitures, physical risks, environmental risks, theability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matterswithin current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments,political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where theGroup operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details ofpotential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in theGroup's filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the USSecurities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report & Accounts onForm 20-F. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of thisannouncement. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Groupexpressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly anyupdates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein toreflect any change in the Group's expectations with regard thereto or any changein events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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