Ex Unilever boss on doing the right thing (and making money)
As the CEO who turned Unilever green, the Dutchman received many more bouquets than brickbats – even from shareholders. Over lunch, he shares his secret sauce.
Trying to have lunch with Paul Polman is no easy feat. He may no longer be the CEO of Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant that he ran for a decade until 2019, but the 66-year-old is still a busy man.
I’ve caught him in his home town of London between trips to Kenya, New York and Italy. And because his diary is so full, we are lunching at the almost brunch-esque time of 11.30.
Hans van LeeuwenEurope correspondentHans van Leeuwen covers British and European politics, economics and business from London. He has worked as a reporter, editor and policy adviser in Sydney, Canberra, Hanoi and London. Connect with Hans on Twitter. Email Hans at hans.vanleeuwen@afr.com
