Unilever: Purpose-Led, Future-Fit

Unilever CEO Alan Jope has often said he wants the global consumer products giant to be known for three things: being home to a stable of purpose-led brands, proving once and for all that running a business responsibly generates better financial outcomes, and being a beacon of diversity and inclusion. Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? Not if history is any indication. Unilever has been making steady progress in each of these areas for years through the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP)—a 10-year strategy for growth that will also decrease its environmental footprint and increase its positive social impact. Today, Unilever Sustainable Living Brands (such as Dove, Domestos, and Lifebuoy) consistently outperform the average growth rate of the rest of Unilever’s portfolio. In 2019, Unilever also pledged that it will reduce its use of plastic packaging by more than 100,000 metric tons, and that it will collect and process more packaging than it sells by 2025. And Unilever has made remarkable headway in the area of gender balance—in 2019 the company achieved a long-standing goal of having women hold half of all manager positions worldwide, up from 38% in 2010 and one year ahead of target.