Unilever CEO Announcement

[idpickering]

: Unilever today announced that CEO Paul Polman has decided to retire from the company. Alan Jope, currently President, Beauty & Personal Care, has been appointed to the position, effective 1 January 2019, with Polman supporting the transition process during the first half of the year.

https://www.investegate.co.uk/unilever- ... 00108760I/

[Dod101]

I am very pleased to hear that the man to replace Paul Polman is Scottish. That will help to remove some of the Dutch bias in the move earlier this year to try to take Unilever off to Holland. I will try to attend the 2018 AGM In London in the spring to hear him in action.

Dod

[Wizard]

When the change to Dutch withholding tax was abandoned I was very sceptical about what was said, i.e. that Unilever decided to abandon their plan so the Dutch Government responded by withdrawing the planned tax change. I had always thought it was more that the political heat was too much for the Government and that they blinked on the tax change giving Unilever no choice but to pull the reorganisation plan. I assumed that Polman had agreed to this to cover the Dutch PM's blushes, not least given the Dutch PM is ex Unilever.

However, I do some work in the Netherlands occassionally and I was speaking to a 'well placed source' (I think that is how the journalists refer to it) yesterday who told me the announcement was completely correct. Polman and the Dutch PM had agreed a plan to entrench Dutch control over Unilever and the Government was willing to change Dutch tax law to do so, even at the cost of the withholding tax others would no longer have to pay on overseas dividends.

Hopefully the new CEO will be a bit more focussed on all of his shareholders.

But such behaviour does call in to question any statements that Unilever has a great culture.

Terry.

[Dod101]

Your second paragraph is what I have believed from the evidence of the proposals although it indicates a certain naivety, ignorance of the UK financial system and a lack of respect for the UK shareholders. I imagine that that will be raised at the next AGM. It certainly, if true, is not a very good indicator of the morals of the Chairman or the CEO nor in fact of the Board as a whole. There may be one UK citizen on the Board, Graham Pitkethly but he has obviously gone native For an Anglo Dutch company there is not much Anglo representation.

Dod

[ADrunkenMarcus]

I will try to attend the 2018 AGM In London in the spring to hear him in action.

If you can't get there, you'll likely be able to view it by streaming online afterwards. I'm looking forward to what he has to say. I bought Unilever five years ago when I was 27 and I intend to hold it for decades to come.

Best wishes

Mark.

[Dod101]

I will try to attend the 2018 AGM In London in the spring to hear him in action.

If you can't get there, you'll likely be able to view it by streaming online afterwards. I'm looking forward to what he has to say. I bought Unilever five years ago when I was 27 and I intend to hold it for decades to come.

Best wishes

I have held Unilever for more than 20 Years and have never regretted it. It is my biggest holding. Getting to an AGM is nearly always worthwhile even if for me it is a long trek from Central Scotland. However you pick up a lot of things that you cannot get from a recording although that is obviously the next best thing. I can recommend it.

Dod

[Wizard]

...I bought Unilever five years ago when I was 27...

Show off

[ADrunkenMarcus]

Show off

Showing off being 27 or showing off buying Unilever?

Best wishes

Mark.