Unilever is pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Meakins as a Non-Executive Director and Chair Designate following a comprehensive search process.

Ian will join the Board as non-executive director and chair designate on 1 September 2023 and will succeed Nils Andersen as Chair on 1 December 2023. Nils will step down from the Board, after nine years of service, at Unilever’s Annual General Meeting in May 2024.

Ian is currently chair of Compass Group PLC and Rexel SA and has significant global business experience across a diverse range of industries. He served as chief executive of Wolseley plc (now Ferguson plc) from 2009 to 2016, chief executive of Travelex Holdings from 2007 to 2009, and chief executive of Alliance Unichem plc from 2004, until its merger with Boots in 2006. Previously he held positions at Diageo, Bain & Company, and Procter & Gamble.

Nils Andersen said, “I am delighted to welcome Ian to the Board following a thorough global search process. Ian has a strong track record of success in executive and non-executive roles across a range of industries. I am sure Unilever will greatly benefit from his extensive experience and I am confident that he will provide the Board with strong and effective leadership.”

Ian Meakins said, “It is a great honor to have been asked to succeed Nils as Chair of Unilever. I look forward to working with the Board and with Hein and his leadership team to help realize Unilever’s full potential and create value for all its stakeholders.”

Hein Schumacher, Unilever's chief executive officer, said, “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Nils for his excellent leadership of our company as Chair over the last four years."

“Nils chaired the company through a period of significant volatility and some of the most challenging operational conditions in decades. He was instrumental in sharpening Unilever’s focus on operational performance, creating a simpler and more agile company through the unification of Unilever NV and PLC into one legal structure, and implementing our new category-focused organization.”