CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards

UNITED KINGDOM 53 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Business Women of the Year Awards 2019 LEENA NAIR Chief HR Officer at Unilever ABOUT LEENA NAIR Prior to her current role, Leena served as Global Senior Vice President for Leadership and Organisational Development and Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion. In that role, she was instrumental in driving our employer brand to a record high and in step- changing our Diversity agenda to industry leadership. Before this, she undertook a wide range of HR roles in India and, as VP HR South Asia, she led the talent and organisation strategy that was a significant enabler in helping the business deliver its vision. She embedded performance culture as a way of life and transformed employee relations into a proactive employee-centric function. She brought in a number of innovations, including the Career by Choice programme, which helps women who have fallen off the career ladder to rejoin the workforce. Since 1992, when she joined Unilever as a trainee, Leena has had many firsts to her credit, from being one of the first female managers to opt for a factory stint to becoming the first woman on HUL’s management committee and its youngest executive director. She is the first female and youngest ever CHRO of Unilever. She is also a Trustee of the Leverhulme Trust. FIRM PROFILE On any given day, 2.5 billion people use Unilever products to feel good, look good and get more out of life – giving us a unique opportunity to build a brighter future. We want our business to grow but we recognise that growth at the expense of people or the environment is both unacceptable and commercially unsustainable. Sustainable growth is the only acceptable model for our business. Our Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) is central to our business model. It sets out how we are growing our business, whilst reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our positive social impact. By combining our multinational expertise with our deep roots in diverse local cultures, we’re continuing to provide a range of products to suit a wealth of consumers. We’re also strengthening our strong relationships in the emerging markets we believe will be significant for our future growth. And by leveraging our global reach and inspiring people to take small, everyday actions, we believe we can help make a big difference to the world. Unilever is committed to supporting sustainability and providing our consumers around the world with the products they need to look good, feel good and get more out of life. Five key priorities provide the foundation for our brand’s campaigns. Read some examples of how different brands are upholding these principles. A better future for children Our oral care brands Signal and Close-Up encourage children to brush their teeth day and night for optimal dental health. We also partner the FDI World Dental Federation, supporting oral health programmes around the world Brands such as Omo and Persil have helped parents believe the unconventional philosophy that Dirt is Good. Children learn through play, and mud spatters and grass stains can easily be removed with effective laundry products Unilever also partners the World Food Programme and launched the Together for Child Vitality initiative to bring our expertise in nutrition to children in some of the world’s poorest countries. www.unilever.com