Fernando Fernández (executive)
Fernando Fernández | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966 (age 58–59) |
| Nationality | Argentine |
| Alma mater | University of Buenos Aires |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Title | Chief executive officer of Unilever |
| Term | 1 March 2025 – present |
| Predecessor | Hein Schumacher |
Fernando Fernández (born 1966) is an Argentine business executive who has served as chief executive officer (CEO) of Unilever since March 2025, succeeding Hein Schumacher.[1][2] Previously, he served as chief financial officer (CFO) of Unilever from 2024 to 2025.[3][4]
Early life and education
Fernández was born in 1966 in Argentina.[3][5] He holds a degree in economics from the University of Buenos Aires.[3]
Career
Fernández joined Unilever in December 1987 as a production costs analyst in Buenos Aires. Over the next two decades, he rotated through finance, marketing and supply chain roles in Argentina and the wider River Plate region. He later led Unilever's hair care business in Latin America (1998–2001) and Europe (2002–04) and became senior vice president of global hair care in London (2004–07). His first general-management assignment was as senior vice president for the Philippines (2007–10), where he oversaw a return to volume growth after the global financial crisis.[3]
In 2011, Fernández became executive vice president in Brazil and steered the subsidiary through a period of high inflation and currency volatility, expanding local production to protect margins.[6] In 2019, he was named executive vice-president Latin America, integrating country clusters and trimming under-performing stock-keeping units to lift operating profits.[6]
In January 2024, Fernández undertook an operational overhaul and later assumed oversight of supply chain, procurement, digital and business services.[7]
On 25 February 2025 Unilever's board replaced Schumacher with Fernández.[8][6][9] Shortly after taking office, Fernández set priorities to boost influencer marketing, move half of Unilever’s media budget to social channels and divest about €1 billion in non-core European food assets.[10][11]
References
- ^ Speed, Madeleine (March 2, 2025). "Food to go? The question facing Unilever's new 'human tornado' chief".
- ^ Kleinman, Mark (17 April 2025). "Unilever faces investor revolt over new chief's pay package". Sky News. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Who is Unilever's new CEO Fernando Fernandez?". Reuters. 25 February 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Osborne, Alistair (February 25, 2025). "Unilever's Fernando Fernandez had better justify the hype". The Times.
- ^ "Fernando FERNANDEZ personal appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ a b c "Unilever elige como nuevo CEO a un argentino que digirió el negocio en Latam". Bloomberg Línea (in Spanish). 25 February 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ "Unilever CFO takes on additional responsibility amid operational overhaul". Reuters. 9 December 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Shabong, Yadarisa; Mason, Josephine (25 February 2025). "Unilever ditches CEO Schumacher in surprise move". Reuters. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Kollewe, Julia (25 February 2025). "Unilever ousts CEO Hein Schumacher to speed turnaround". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Prakash, Prarthana (11 March 2025). "Unilever's new CEO wants to make the Dove soap maker popular with influencers as a 'machine of content creation'". Fortune. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
- ^ Gutfreund, Jamie (13 March 2025). "Why Is Unilever's CEO Fernando Fernandez Investing in Influencers?". Forbes. Retrieved 16 June 2025.