The chief executives of consumer goods group Unilever and retail giant Carrefour, who both took the helm at the start of 2009, have again shuffled their management packs.
 
Following the decision of Unilever veteran Vindi Banga to leave the Knorr-to-Flora maker after 33 years with the business, chief executive Paul Polman has made two key appointments.
 
Michael Polk, president of Unilever’s business in the Americas, will take Banga’s role as president for global food, household and personal care. Polk’s position across the Atlantic will be filled by Dave Lewis, the head of Unilever’s operations in the UK and Ireland.
 
At Carrefour, meanwhile, CEO Lars Olofsson has made his latest senior appointment – and his latest hiring of an executive from an arch rival.
 
Vicente Trius, a Spaniard with 13 years’ experience at Wal-Mart, will join Carrefour in May to lead the world’s second-largest retailer’s European operations outside of France.
 
The announcement of Trius’s appointment comes five months after Carrefour asked former Tesco executive James McCann to head up its challenging domestic business.

Of course, the appointment of new CEOs more often than not lead to new faces in senior management. However, at both Unilever and Carrefour, there has been a flurry of appointments and departures in recent months as both Polman and Olofsson get to grips with huge, multinational businesses operating in what has been a tumultuous time economically.

Earlier this month, Unilever appointed Keith Weed as chief marketing and communications officer following the departure of Simon Clift, who had spent 30 years at the business.

In December, Unilever welcomed Bristol-Myers Squibb finance chief Jean-Marc Huet as its CFO following the exit of Jim Lawrence.

Other senior changes at Carrefour include the creation of the position of chief commerical officer, which former Procter & Gamble executive José Carlos Gonzalez-Hurtado filled in December.
 
The departure of Banga, once seen as a possible Unilever CEO before Polman joined the business, may raise eyebrows but, according to independent analyst James Amoroso, it is “reassuring” that many of the company’s promotions have come from within.

“There is continuity with the changes… otherwise it would be a stop-start strategy, which would carry risks. Polman is clearly re-focusing but not revolutionising… building on earlier strategies,” Amoroso said.

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Some commentators have argued that Polman is looking to instil a more performance-driven culture at Unilever. Amoroso, however, suggests that notion is “too bland”.

“I think [Polman] is trying to instill a greater sense of urgency. Effectiveness is being emphasised more now. Efficiency has been the focus of the past few years: cost savings, fewer brands. Now he wants to get the organisation being more effective, especially as regards consumers and customers.”
 
There is also a sense of urgency at Carrefour after a challenging 2009. Olofsson is looking to revitalise its operations in France and in certain European markets and last month said Carrefour would “accelerate” the changes he has put in place to transform the business.

Announcing the company’s annual results, Olofsson said Carrefour faced the same challenges as it did when he took the helm 12 months ago.

Olofsson explained the retailer needed to adjust its pricing image, suffered from a “lack of executional skills”, had lost “innovation momentum” and its cost-base was too heavy.

He also admitted the group’s performance in certain markets was “not satisfactory”, particularly in France, Belgium and Italy.
 
Which is where Trius comes in. Trius, who led Wal-Mart’s Asian business before a very brief, five-month stint as head of the US titan’s operations in Latin America, has a challenging task with parts of Carrefour’s European business.

Carrefour’s stores in Belgium have suffered from intense price competition from the likes of local player Colruyt, while strike action has also hit the business. Carrefour, meanwhile, also ran up impairment charges worth EUR766m in Italy last year.

The retailer seems to have made progress in Spain, one of the European economies most affected by the recession, through its programme to roll out its Carrefour Market banner in the country.

However, even when the Spanish economy recovers, the depth of the recession is likely to have an impact on the way consumers shop, with price becoming all the more important for local shoppers.

So, Trius has his work cut out as he returns to Europe with Carrefour after stints in Asia and Latin America with Wal-Mart. On paper, he has the experience to tackle Carrefour’s challenges but Belgium, with its consolidated retail market, in particular presents a pressing problem.