UNILEVER Business Summary

Unilever PLC (UL) operates as a global leader in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, generating revenue primarily through the high-volume sale of branded products across four core segments: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Nutrition. Following the strategic demerger of its Ice Cream business in late 2025, the company has pivoted toward a "Power Brand" strategy, focusing on 30 high-growth labels that account for nearly 80% of its €50.5 billion annual turnover. The business model emphasizes premiumization and digital commerce, with a significant 58% of revenue derived from emerging markets. Unilever competes directly with global giants such as Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, L'Oréal, and Colgate-Palmolive, maintaining a dominant market position by leveraging its massive scale and a distribution network that reaches over 3.4 billion consumers daily. Originally formed in 1929 through the merger of Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie, the company’s legacy is rooted in the work of founders William Hulme Lever, Antonius Johannes Jurgens, and Samuel Van Den Bergh. Today, the leadership team is led by CEO Fernando Fernandez, an economist and 30-year company veteran who assumed the role in March 2025 after serving as CFO and President of Beauty & Wellbeing. He is supported by CFO Srinivas Phatak, who was confirmed in the role in early 2026 following a successful tenure as Deputy CFO. The company’s strategic direction is heavily influenced by a high-profile board that includes Chairman Ian Meakins and activist investor Nelson Peltz of Trian Partners, who remains a notable shareholder and independent non-executive director driving the group's ongoing productivity and portfolio simplification initiatives.