EXCLUSIVE: Unilever Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) has shaken up its leadership structure following the departure of Peter Boone, elevating marketers Hugo Verkuil and Andrea Martens as its new joint marketing and managing directors.
Verkuil, former Unilever Malaysia and Singapore marketing director, and Martens, former ANZ marketing director of refreshments, will split the responsibilities of Boone's previous role, who left the company in December 2012 to return to Amsterdam.
They will also adopt the respective roles of managing directors of Unilever's food and home and personal care businesses.
Verkuil will become the vice president of marketing and managing director of foods and refreshments for brands including Lipton, Streets Ice Cream and Flora. He was most recently Unilever Malaysia and Singapore's marketing director, where he oversaw 12 categories including food, refreshments, home and personal care.
He joined the the company in 2005 and held positions including director of global strategy and breakthrough innovation in ice cream, and director of brand development of Africa, the Middle East and Turkey, also focusing on ice cream.
Martens will also adopt the title of vice president of marketing, but will be managing director of home and personal care for brands such as Dove, OMO and Rexona. She has been with Unilever since 2000 working in various marketing roles across its savoury and homecare businesses. Prior to joining the firm she worked for Glaxo SmithKline and Faulding Healthcare.
In a statement Unilever ANZ chairman and chief executive Clive Stiff congratulated the pair and stressed the importance of communicating the positives of its products and brands.
"The decision to split the current VP marketing role into two discrete marketing/managing director roles is a reflection of the overall accountability for business results that we place on the marketing function," he said.
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.
Have something to say? Send us your comments using the form below or contact the writer at amykellow@yaffa.com.au
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.