Biographical details

Chairman

Michael Treschow 1,2

Nationality: Swedish. Aged 64. Chairman since May 2007. Chairman, Telefonaktiebolaget L M Ericsson. Non-Executive Director, ABB Group. Board member, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. Chairman, AB Electrolux 1997-2007 and Confederation of Swedish Enterprise 2004-2007.


Vice-Chairman

The Lord Simon of Highbury CBE 3,4,5

Nationality: British. Aged 68. Appointed 2000. Non-Executive Director, Suez Group. Director, CEPS, Belgium. Member of the International Advisory Council, FITCH, France. Member of the International Advisory Board, Dana Gas Corporation. Senior Advisor, Morgan Stanley International. UK Government Minister 1997-1999. Group Chief Executive, BP p.l.c. 1992-1995 and Chairman 1995-1997.


Executive Directors

Patrick Cescau

Group Chief Executive

Nationality: French. Aged 59. Group Chief Executive since April 2005. Joined Unilever 1973. Appointed Director 4 May 1999. Previous posts include: Chairman, Unilever PLC and Vice-Chairman, Unilever N.V. 2004-2005. Foods Director 2001. Financial Director 1999. Controller and Deputy Financial Director 1998-1999. President, Lipton USA 1997-1998. President and CEO, Van den Bergh Foods USA 1995-1997. Chairman, Indonesia 1991-1995. External appointments include: Non-Executive Director, Pearson plc.

Kees van der Graaf

President Europe

Nationality: Dutch. Aged 57. President Europe since April 2005. Joined Unilever 1976. Appointed Director 12 May 2004. Previous posts include: Foods Director 2004, Business Group President, Ice Cream and Frozen Foods 2001. Executive Vice-President, Foods and Beverages Europe 1998. Senior Vice-President, Global Ice Cream category 1995. External appointments include: Board member, ECR (Efficient Consumer Response). Member, Supervisory Boards of ANWB Club (Algemene Nederlandse Wielrijdersbond) and ANWB B.V.

Ralph Kugler 6

President Home and Personal Care

Nationality: British. Aged 52. President Home and Personal Care since April 2005. Joined Unilever 1979. Appointed Director 11 May 2005. Previous posts include: President Home and Personal Care Europe 2001. Business Group President, Latin America 1999. Chairman, Unilever Thai Holdings 1995. Chairman, Unilever Malaysia 1992. External appointments include: Non-Executive Director, InterContinental Hotels Group PLC.


Non-Executive Directors

Professor Genevieve Berger 6

Nationality: French. Aged 53. Appointed 2007. Professor, Medical University Teaching Hospital, Paris. Member, Technical Committee, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Chairman, Advisory Board, Health for the European Commission. Director, Biotech and Agri-Food Department 1998-2000 and Director of Technology 2000, the French Ministry for Education. Director General, National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France 2000-2003.

The Rt Hon The Lord Brittan of Spennithorne QC, DL 7

Nationality: British. Aged 68. Appointed 2000. Vice-Chairman, UBS Investment Bank and Chairman, UBS Limited. Director, UBS Securities Company Limited. Member, International Advisory Committee of Total. Member, European Commission and Vice-President 1989-1999. Member, UK Government 1979-1986. Home Secretary 1983-1985 and Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 1985-1986.

Professor Wim Dik 8

Nationality: Dutch. Aged 69. Appointed 2001. Professor at Delft University of Technology. Chairman, Supervisory Boards of Tele Atlas N.V., Zesko Holding B.V. and Chairman, Advisory Board of Spencer Stuart Netherlands. Non-Executive Director, Aviva plc, LogicaCMG plc and Stage Entertainment B.V. Chairman and CEO, Koninklijke PTT Nederland (KPN) 1988-1998 and Koninklijke KPN N.V. (Royal Dutch Telecom) 1998-2000. Minister for Foreign Trade, Netherlands 1981-1982.

Charles Golden 8

Nationality: American. Aged 61. Appointed 2006. Executive Vice-President, Chief Financial Officer and Director, Eli Lilly and Company 1996-2006. Non-Executive Director, Clarian Health Partners, Hillenbrand Industries, Inc. and Eaton Corporation. Member of Finance Committee, Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Byron Grote 8

Nationality: American/British. Aged 60. Appointed 2006. Chief Financial Officer, BP p.l.c.

Narayana Murthy 6

Nationality: Indian. Aged 61. Appointed 2007. Chairman, Asia Business Council, Indian Institute of Information Technology and Infosys Technologies Limited. Director, DBS Bank, DBS Group Holdings, Infosys Consulting, Inc., Infosys Technologies (China) Company Limited, New Delhi Television Ltd.

Hixonia Nyasulu 6

Nationality: South African. Aged 53. Appointed 2007. Non-Executive Director, Barloworld Ltd, JP Morgan SA, Sasol Ltd and Tongaat-Hulett Group Ltd. Member, Banking Enquiry Panel, South African Competition Commission.

Kees Storm 9

Nationality: Dutch. Aged 65. Appointed 2006. Chairman, Executive Board, AEGON N.V. 1993-2002. Chairman, Supervisory Board KLM Royal Dutch Airlines N.V. Board member and Chairman of Audit Committee, InBev S.A. Board member and Audit Committee member, Baxter International, Inc. Member, Supervisory Board, Pon Holdings B.V. Member, Supervisory Board, AEGON N.V.

Jeroen van der Veer 1,2

Nationality: Dutch. Aged 60. Appointed 2002. Chief Executive Royal Dutch Shell plc. Former Member, Supervisory Board of De Nederlandsche Bank N.V. 2000-2004.


  1. Member Nomination Committee
  2. Member Remuneration Committee
  3. Chairman Nomination Committee
  4. Chairman Remuneration Committee
  5. Senior Independent Director
  6. Member Corporate Responsibility and Reputation Committee
  7. Chairman Corporate Responsibility and Reputation Committee
  8. Member Audit Committee
  9. Chairman Audit Committee

Unilever Executive (UEx)*

Patrick Cescau

Group Chief Executive

(see Executive Directors details)

Vindi Banga

President Foods

Nationality: Indian. Aged 53. Appointed President Foods April 2005. Joined Unilever 1977. Previous posts include: Business Group President Home and Personal Care, Asia 2004 in addition to Non-Executive Chairman, Hindustan Lever 2004-2005. Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Lever 2000-2004.

Kees van der Graaf

President Europe

(see Executive Directors details)

Ralph Kugler

President Home and Personal Care

(see Executive Directors details)

James Lawrence**

Chief Financial Officer

Nationality: American. Aged 55. Appointed Chief Financial Officer 1 September 2007. External appointments include: Non-Executive Director, British Airways Plc and Avnet, Inc. Previous posts include: various senior positions at General Mills, Inc. 1998-2007, including Vice Chairman 2006-2007, Executive Vice President-International 2000-2006 and Chief Financial Officer 1998-2007, Executive Vice President and CFO, Northwest Airlines 1996-1998, President and CEO, Pepsi-Cola International (Asia, Middle East, Africa) 1992-1996, and Chairman, LEK Partnership 1983-1992.

Harish Manwani

President Asia Africa

Nationality: Indian. Aged 54. Appointed President Asia Africa April 2005. Joined Unilever 1976. He is also Non-Executive Chairman, Hindustan Lever. Previous posts include: Business Group President, Home and Personal Care, North America 2004. Business Group President, Home and Personal Care, Latin America 2001 and Senior Vice President, Hair Care and Oral Care 2000.

Sandy Ogg

Chief Human Resources Officer

Nationality: American. Aged 54. Appointed Chief HR Officer April 2005. Joined Unilever 2003. Previous posts include: SVP Human Resources, Foods 2003. Prior to joining Unilever he worked for Motorola as SVP, Leadership, Learning and Performance Management.

Michael Polk

President Americas

Nationality: American. Aged 47. Appointed March 2007. External appointments include: Director, Grocery Manufacturers of America and Food Products Association, GS1, Retail Industry Leaders Association, and Yellowstone National Park Foundation. Prior to joining Unilever he was at Kraft Foods as President, Biscuits and Snacks Sector and President, Asia Pacific Region.


* UEx members are treated as executive officers and senior management for US purposes and key management personnel for IFRS purposes. All members of the UEx have existing agreements with varying terms, however, all agreements include a notice period of twelve months. Details of the remuneration paid and share awards are shown in aggregate in note 31.

**James Lawrence will be proposed for election as an Executive Director at the 2008 AGMs.