Unilever UK, the UK operation of the Unilever foods and consumer goods group, has named Dave Lewis as its new chairman, succeeding Kevin Havelock who is moving to the US to become president of Unilever United States.

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Lewis (41) is currently managing director of the Unilever UK’s Home & Personal Care (HPC) business. He is to take up the position of chairman on 1 February. “Naturally, I’m delighted to have been given the opportunity to manage what is the second biggest contributor to Unilever’s total global turnover,” Lewis said. “This is the business I joined in 1987 as a trainee and to take on the role of chairman is a real honour.”


Havelock is to assume his role as president of Unilever US – a vacancy created by Michael Polk’s promotion to president of Unilever Americas – towards the end of the first quarter of 2007, the company said.

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