Board and Management Committees

The Board of Unilever

The Board comprises Executive Directors and, in a majority, Non-Executive Directors. Further details of how our Board effectively operates, governs itself and delegates its authorities are set out in 'The Governance of Unilever'.

Appointment of Directors

Unilever has long understood the importance of diversity within our workforce because of the wide range of consumers we connect with globally. This goes right through our organisation, starting with the Board. Unilever’s Board Diversity Policy, which is reviewed by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee each year, can be found within the Downloads section on this page.

The composition and quality of the Board should be in keeping with the size of Unilever, its portfolio, culture and geographical spread and its status as a listed company. However, the Board of Unilever believes that whilst gender and ethnicity are an important part of diversity, Unilever Directors will continue to be selected on the basis of the wide-ranging experience, backgrounds, skills, knowledge and insight of its members. Further details of the procedure to appoint directors are set out in the document 'Appointment procedure for PLC directors'.

Details on the Directors' Remuneration Policy, including information about Director’s service contracts, and details on how we have implemented the Directors’ Remuneration Policy can be found in the Director’s Remuneration Report within our Annual Report and Accounts which is available via the Annual Report & Accounts section of this website.

Further details of the role and responsibilities of the Chairman, the Chief Executive Officer and the Executive and Non-Executive Directors are set out in 'The Governance of Unilever'. The appointment dates and anticipated retirement dates of our Non-Executive Directors are set out in the document entitled ‘NEDs anticipated dates of retirement’.

Board committees

Audit Committee

The Audit Committee comprises a minimum of three Non-Executive Directors. The committee assists the Board in fulfilling their oversight responsibilities in respect of the integrity of: Unilever's financial statements; risk management and internal control arrangements; compliance with legal and regulatory requirements; the performance, qualifications and independence of the external auditors; the policy on work that can and cannot be performed by the external auditors and the compliance thereof; and the performance of the internal audit function.

The committee is also responsible for making recommendations to the Board on the nomination of and compensation payable to the external auditors. The Audit Committee is fully compliant with the rules regarding Audit Committees that are applicable in the UK and US.

Current members: Adrian Hennah (Chair), Susan Kilsby and Ruby Lu.

Compensation Committee

The Compensation Committee comprises a minimum of three Non-Executive Directors (other than the Chairman who may be appointed as an additional member). The committee reviews the remuneration of the Executive and Non-Executive Directors and Unilever Leadership Executive. It also has responsibility for the design and terms of executive and all employee share-based incentive plans and the remuneration policy for the Unilever Leadership Executive and Senior Corporate Executives. The committee is also concerned with the performance evaluation of the Unilever Leadership Executive.

Current members: Andrea Jung (Chair), Ian Meakins, Nelson Peltz and Judith McKenna.

Corporate Responsibility Committee

The Corporate Responsibility Committee comprises a minimum of two Non-Executive Directors. The committee has responsibility for the oversight of Unilever's corporate responsibility and its reputation as a responsible corporate citizen.

Current members: Susan Kilsby (Chair), Judith McKenna and Ruby Lu.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee comprises a minimum of three Non-Executive Directors. The committee recommends to the Board candidates for the positions of director and has responsibilities for succession planning; reporting on Board diversity and oversight of corporate governance matters.

Current members: Ian Meakins (Chair), Andrea Jung and Adrian Hennah.

Management committees

The Disclosure Committee

The Disclosure Committee comprises the Chief Financial Officer, the Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Controller, the Chief Legal Officer and Group Secretary, the Global Head of Investor Relations and the General Counsel Corporate and Deputy Group Secretary. The purpose of the committee is to help the Board ensure that financial and other information that ought to be disclosed publicly by Unilever is disclosed in a timely manner and that the information that is disclosed is complete and accurate.