Schumacher, 51, joined Unilever in October last year as non-executive director and is currently the chief of Dutch dairy business FrieslandCampina. The London-based company in September said that CEO Jope planned to retire at the end of 2023. Schumacher, who was formerly at Royal Ahold NV, also worked for HJ Heinz for a decade across the US, Europe and Asia.
Billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz, who heads investor Trian Partners, said he strongly supports Hein “as our new CEO and look(s) forward to working closely with him to drive significant sustainable stakeholder value.” Peltz became a Unilever board member in July after it was revealed early last year that he had built a stake in the company.
“I first met Hein when I served as a director at the HJ Heinz Company from 2006 to 2013 and was impressed by his leadership skills and business acumen,” Peltz said.
