Unilever kondigt separate Sanex-organisatie aan

UNILEVER ANNOUNCES SEPARATE ORGANISATION TO MANAGE SANEX

Dedicated organisation will maintain competitiveness and marketability of Sanex brand ahead of divestment

Following completion of the deal to purchase the Sara Lee Personal Care and European Laundry business, Unilever today announces the first appointments to the senior management team of the newly created Sanex Organisation.

The Sanex organisation has been established in accordance with the agreement between Unilever and the European Commission regarding the purchase of the Sara Lee Personal and Home & Household Care business. Under this agreement, Unilever has agreed to divest the Sanex brand in Europe.

The Management Team

Wout de Gier will take up the role of Sanex CEO. Wout moves from his current position of President Household & Body Care, Benelux, Germany and Austria, Sara Lee.

Robin Wood, currently Vice President Global Categories Body Care, Sara Lee, is appointed Sanex Vice President Marketing.

Carlos Pastor, currently CFO for Global Brands as well as Deputy CFO, Sara Lee Hand & Body Care Division, is appointed Sanex CFO.

Wout and his team will ensure that the Sanex brand remains competitive and marketable. In Europe, Sanex holds number one and two category positions in Spain and Denmark, and strong positions in the UK, France and Netherlands. Unilever has committed to divesting the Sanex brand by Q3 2011. Upon the sale of the Sanex brand, this organisation will transfer to its new owners.
                                                                            - - - - -

Note to editors

Background on the Sanex Organisation

• The European Commission approved the Unilever / Sara Lee deal on 17 November 2010. Unilever completed the purchase on 6 December 2010.

• The Sanex Organisation will be independent of Unilever. It will report to a Monitoring Trustee appointed by the European Commission. Sanex brand expertise within Sara Lee has transferred to the Sanex Organisation.

• The standalone organisation will have a separate Sales & Marketing team, R&D support & central management team. It will be supported by ‘back office’ services such as Customer Orders, Accounting, Payroll, Manufacturing, Distribution etc. Back office services will be provided by Sara Lee during the TSA period, then by Unilever until the brand is divested.

About Unilever

Unilever works to create a better future every day.  We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

Unilever is one of the world’s leading suppliers of fast moving consumer goods. It operates in over 170 countries and has leading positions in many of the emerging markets. Unilever products are present in more than half the households on the planet and are used over two billion times a day.

Our portfolio includes some of the world’s best known and most loved brands including eleven €1 billion brands, and global leadership in many categories in which we operate.  The portfolio features iconic brands such as: Knorr, Dove, Lipton, Becel/Flora, Blue Band/Rama/Country Crock, Wall’s/OLA/Langnese, Hellmann’s, Calvé, Unox, Pond’s, Lux, Axe/Lynx, Sunsilk, Vaseline, Rexona/Sure, Omo, Surf, Cif, Signal and Glorix/Domestos.

We have around 163,000 employees in approaching 100 countries, and generated annual sales of €40 billion in 2009.  For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

Unilever is Food Industry Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Indexes for the 12th year running. We are included in the FTSE4Good Index Series and attained a top environmental score of 5, leading to inclusion in the FTSE4Good Environmental Leaders Europe 40 Index. We are also ranked 7th in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, a list compiled by Corporate Knights Magazine.  We achieved Platinum Plus standard in the UK’s Business in the Community Corporate Responsibility Index 2009, and were named Company of the Year in 2010.

SAFE HARBOUR

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as ‘expects’, ‘anticipates’, ‘intends’, ‘believes’ or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, including any financial objectives, and their negatives are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance. Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including, among others, competitive pricing and activities, economic slowdown, industry consolidation, access to credit markets, recruitment levels, reputational risks, commodity prices, continued availability of raw materials, prioritization of projects, consumption levels, costs, the ability to maintain and manage key customer relationships and supply chain sources, consumer demands, currency values, interest rates, the ability to integrate acquisitions and complete planned divestitures, the ability to complete planned restructuring activities, physical risks, environmental risks, the ability to manage regulatory, tax and legal matters and resolve pending matters within current estimates, legislative, fiscal and regulatory developments, political, economic and social conditions in the geographic markets where the Group operates and new or changed priorities of the Boards. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group’s filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the 20-F Report and the Annual Report and Accounts 2009. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group’s expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.