Unilever CMO Keith Weed to retire in 2019
The news comes as Marketing Dive has announced Weed as their executive of the year just this week, stating: "No CMO has taken as clear-eyed a perspective on the industry's issues and how to address them in 2018 as Keith Weed."
New era for Unilever, with Polman and Weed exiting
AdWeek reports that the news of Weed's retirement follows a Unilever leadership shakeup in late-November, in which Unilever CEO Paul Polman also announced he would retire at the end of this year, after a decade at the helm.
PR Week confirms that a year after Polman joined Unilever, Weed was promoted to chief marketing and communications officer.
Under Weed's marketing leadership, Unilever took a firm stand against divisive advertising, with a core focus on the digital realm. Unilever launched the #UnstereotypeAlliance at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity in 2016.
Earlier this year, Weed stated: "Unilever will not invest in platforms or environments that do not protect our children or which create division in society, and promote anger and hate."
In the Marketing Dive announcement, Weed is quoted as stating:
This year feels like a tipping point. We are more aware of the unintended consequences of some parts of the new digital platforms and are witnessing a very exciting time of change.
Wow! Where did the last 35 years go? Time has flown. I've had the pleasure of working with super people in Unilever & beyond. It's with a happy and heavy heart that I've decided to retire from Unilever in April It's been over a year in planning with exciting challenges 2 follow pic.twitter.com/IMcuyBNMkN
— Keith Weed (@keithweed) December 6, 2018
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