Unilever has said Bayer CEO Dr. Marijn Dekkers will succeed Michael Treschow as group chairman. 

Dekkers will be nominated for election to the company’s boards at the AGM in April. At this time, Treschow will retire, having served Unilever’s maximum tenure as chairman of nine years. 

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Commenting on his successor, Treschow said Dekkers is a “highly successful businessman” with a “formidable track record”. He added: “I have no doubt that Unilever will greatly benefit from his knowledge, international experience and his strong belief in driving business growth responsibly and in the long term.” 

For his part, Dekkers said he is “honoured” to join Unilever as chairman in order to “contribute to the purpose, vision and strategy” of the group. “It is a great business, with great brands and an unequalled global reach. I know Paul Polman as an outstanding global leader and he and I are looking forward immensely to working together in the future,” he noted. 

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