Unilever plc

What does Unilever own?
As of April 2026, Unilever owns a portfolio of over 400 brands across four business groups: Beauty and Wellbeing (Dove, Vaseline, TRESemme, Pond's), Personal Care (Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Lux, Lifebuoy, Close Up), Home Care (Domestos, Cif, Surf, Omo, Comfort), and Nutrition (Knorr, Hellmann's, pending transfer to McCormick upon deal close). Unilever no longer owns ice cream brands (Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers) following the 2025 Ice Cream demerger. The March 31, 2026 McCormick combination, expected to close mid-2027, will transfer Hellmann's, Knorr, Frank's RedHot, French's, Cholula, and Maille to the expanded McCormick entity. The company also owns approximately 61% of Hindustan Unilever Limited, a publicly listed subsidiary in India.

Is Unilever publicly traded?
Yes, Unilever plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange under ticker ULVR and on Euronext Amsterdam under ticker UNA. American Depositary Receipts are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker UL. The company does not have a controlling shareholder, and its shares are held primarily by institutional investors. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom.

Who founded Unilever?
Unilever was formed in 1929 through the merger of Lever Brothers, a British soap company founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1885, and Margarine Unie, a Dutch margarine producer formed through the merger of the Jurgens and Van den Bergh companies in 1927. The founders of the predecessor companies include William Lever, James Darcy Lever, Antonius Johannes Jurgens, and Samuel van den Bergh.

Where is Unilever headquartered?
Unilever is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. The company's registered office and principal executive offices are located in London. Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure in 2020, consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom and ending the separate Unilever N.V. Dutch entity. The company's shares continue to trade on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam.

How many brands does Unilever own?
Unilever currently owns over 400 brands across Beauty and Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, and Nutrition. Following the completion of the McCormick Foods combination (expected mid-2027), Unilever's portfolio will narrow to its HPC brands, with the largest being Dove, Axe/Lynx, Rexona/Sure, Vaseline, Domestos, Cif, Surf, and Omo. The company's food brands (Hellmann's, Knorr) are included in the McCormick deal and will transfer upon close.

Who owns Unilever?
Unilever plc is a publicly traded company with no controlling shareholder. The company's shares are held primarily by institutional investors including major asset managers and index funds. No single shareholder holds a majority stake in Unilever. Fernando Fernandez serves as CEO, having been appointed in March 2025 following the departure of Hein Schumacher. The company's board includes a majority of independent non-executive directors.

The origins of Unilever trace to two separate companies: Lever Brothers, founded by William Hesketh Lever in 1885 in Bolton, England, and Margarine Unie, a Dutch company formed through the merger of two margarine producers in 1927.

William Lever founded Lever Brothers to manufacture and sell Sunlight Soap, one of the first branded and packaged consumer goods products in the United Kingdom. Lever's innovation was to sell soap in uniform, pre-cut bars with consistent quality, rather than the variable-quality bulk soap that was the norm at the time. The Sunlight Soap brand was a commercial success, and Lever Brothers expanded rapidly through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, acquiring soap and food businesses in the United Kingdom, Europe, and internationally.

Margarine Unie was formed in 1927 through the merger of Jurgens and Van den Bergh, two Dutch margarine producers that had been competing with each other for decades. Both companies had also expanded into soap production, creating direct competition with Lever Brothers.

In 1929, Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie merged to form Unilever, creating one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world. The merger was structured as a dual-listed company, with Unilever plc listed in the United Kingdom and Unilever N.V. listed in the Netherlands. The two entities operated as a single economic entity but maintained separate legal structures for tax and regulatory reasons.

Through the mid-20th century, Unilever expanded its portfolio through acquisitions and organic growth, building positions in food, personal care, and household products across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa. The company's emerging market operations, particularly in India through Hindustan Unilever Limited (a publicly listed subsidiary), became significant contributors to revenue and profit.

In 2000, Unilever launched a major restructuring program called Path to Growth, which aimed to reduce the company's brand portfolio from approximately 1,600 brands to approximately 400 brands, focusing investment on the largest and most profitable brands. The program resulted in the sale or discontinuation of hundreds of smaller brands.

In 2010, Unilever launched the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, a comprehensive sustainability framework that set targets for reducing the company's environmental footprint while growing its business. The plan attracted significant attention from investors and sustainability advocates and influenced the company's product development and supply chain practices.

In 2017, Unilever rejected a takeover bid from Kraft Heinz, which had offered approximately 143 billion US dollars for the company. Unilever's board rejected the bid as fundamentally undervaluing the company, and Kraft Heinz withdrew its offer within days.

In 2020, Unilever simplified its dual-listed structure by consolidating its legal headquarters in the United Kingdom, ending the separate Unilever N.V. Dutch entity. The company's shares continue to trade on both the London Stock Exchange and Euronext Amsterdam.

In 2024, Unilever announced plans to demerge its Ice Cream business, which included Magnum, Walls, Ben & Jerry's, Breyers, and other ice cream brands. The demerger was completed in 2025, creating a separate publicly listed ice cream company. Hein Schumacher, who had been appointed CEO in 2023, stepped down in March 2025 and was succeeded by Fernando Fernandez.

For the full year 2025, Unilever reported underlying sales growth of approximately 4%, with strong performances from Beauty and Wellbeing and Personal Care. The company's Beauty and Wellbeing segment reported turnover of approximately 12.8 billion euros for 2025, and Personal Care reported approximately 13.2 billion euros. On March 31, 2026, Unilever announced the combination of its Foods business with McCormick, the largest portfolio transaction in the company's history since its formation. Unilever shareholders will receive 55.1% of the combined McCormick entity's equity and Unilever will retain a 9.9% stake, plus a $15.7 billion cash payment.

Unilever has established comprehensive sustainability initiatives focused on environmental responsibility, ethical sourcing, and social impact. The company has been a leader in corporate sustainability for decades, integrating environmental and social considerations into its business strategy while maintaining its position as a global consumer goods leader.

Unilever has set science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across its operations and supply chain. The company has committed to achieving net-zero emissions from its operations by 2039 and has implemented programs to increase renewable energy usage in its manufacturing facilities. Unilever has invested in energy efficiency improvements and sustainable manufacturing processes across its global operations, achieving approximately 60% renewable energy usage as of 2024.

In sustainable product development, Unilever has focused on reducing environmental impact across its product lifecycle. The company has implemented programs to reduce plastic packaging, increase recycled content in packaging materials, and develop more sustainable formulations for consumer products. Unilever's commitment to sustainable sourcing includes initiatives like the RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) membership and programs for sustainable tea and paper sourcing.

Unilever addresses ethical considerations through its comprehensive approach to human rights, labor practices, and responsible marketing. The company maintains strict supplier standards and has implemented programs to ensure ethical sourcing in its supply chains, particularly in areas like palm oil, tea, and paper sourcing. Unilever's ethical guidelines emphasize fair labor practices, responsible advertising, and consumer safety.

The company has strong community engagement programs, including the Unilever Foundation which supports education, hygiene, and economic development initiatives in communities where the company operates. Unilever employees volunteer thousands of hours annually, and the company provides significant support for hygiene education, women's empowerment, and sustainable livelihood programs worldwide.

Unilever has received extensive recognition for sustainability leadership, workplace practices, and corporate responsibility:

• Fortune 500 Most Admired Companies (2024 and 2025): Consistently ranked among the world's most admired companies in consumer goods
• Fast Company Most Innovative Companies (2020-2025): Multiple years of recognition for sustainable product innovation and brand development
• Great Place to Work Certification (2024 and 2025): Certification for workplace culture across multiple regions
• Global Compact LEAD Companies (2024 and 2025): Recognition for leadership in UN Global Compact principles
• CDP Climate Leadership (Multiple years): Recognition for climate action and environmental transparency
• World's Most Ethical Companies (2024): Recognition for business ethics and corporate responsibility
• Sustainable Brands Awards (2024): Recognition for sustainable brand leadership and innovation
• Packaging Innovation Awards (2023): Recognition for sustainable packaging solutions and circular economy initiatives

Unilever has faced criticism regarding the environmental and social impact of its operations and supply chain:

• Palm oil sourcing: The company's palm oil sourcing has been a particular focus of environmental advocates, as palm oil production has been linked to deforestation in Southeast Asia. Unilever has committed to sourcing 100% of its palm oil from certified sustainable sources and has published progress reports on its supply chain sustainability.
• Ben & Jerry's political activism: Ben & Jerry's, acquired by Unilever in 2000, was a source of controversy due to the brand's activist political positions. In 2021, Ben & Jerry's announced it would not renew its license agreement with its Israeli licensee, effectively ending sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The decision created significant controversy and legal disputes. Following the Ice Cream demerger in 2025, Ben & Jerry's became part of the separate ice cream company.
• Plastic packaging: Unilever has been identified as one of the world's largest producers of plastic waste. The company has published commitments to reduce its use of virgin plastic and increase the recyclability of its packaging.
• Product recalls: Unilever has managed multiple product recalls including Dove body wash (2024, potential contamination), Hellmann's mayonnaise (2023, quality control), and Lipton tea products (2022, packaging integrity). All recalls were conducted in cooperation with regulatory authorities including the FDA and equivalent international bodies.
• Kraft Heinz takeover rejection (2017): Unilever rejected a takeover bid from Kraft Heinz valued at approximately $143 billion. The board rejected the bid as fundamentally undervaluing the company, and Kraft Heinz withdrew within days.