Unilever CEO Says He Hopes Successor Will Be Woman or Minority

(Bloomberg) -- Unilever Chief Executive Officer Alan Jope said he would like his eventual successor to be a woman or from a minority.

“It would be a dream of mine to have a woman or someone from a minority background to be my successor,” he said on Bloomberg TV. “Having balance and representation in the senior ranks of Unilever is literally one of the top three priorities.”

Jope is unlikely to move soon as he’s been in the job for only a year and a half. His predecessor, Paul Polman, stayed in the job for about a decade. Jope also said it won’t be up to him, but the board, to choose the next CEO.

While 51% of management positions were filled by women at the end of 2019, that thins out among senior executives. Only 20% of those who report to the top executive committee are female.

“We still have work to do at the top of the organization,” Jope said.

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