Unilever’s Prime Marketer Conny Braams Exits

Unilever’s most senior marketer Conny Braams has introduced plans to step down after greater than 33 years with the enterprise.

Braams was appointed to the newly-created place of chief advertising and marketing and digital officer (CMDO) in 2019 following the departure of veteran model boss Keith Weed. By 2022, she had taken a barely completely different position as chief digital and business officer (CDCO) to mirror the “blurring strains” between digital advertising and marketing and commerce.

Braams will depart in August. She is already primed to talk on the flagship stage at Cannes Lions in June 2023 and host press on the competition.

Adweek understands the CDCO position get replaced immediately with a successor because of be introduced as shortly as potential.

The marketer’s shock exit comes amid a time of change for Unilever, which is about to welcome a brand new chief govt (CEO) in July when present boss Alan Jope retires.

Hein Schumacher, who’s presently CEO of Dutch dairy enterprise FrieslandCampina, has been lined up for the highest job in an appointment welcomed by traders. The brand new CEO arrives because the enterprise is confronted with battling value pressures that proceed to spill over from 2023’s financial downturn and rampant enhance in gas and uncooked materials prices.

Jope stated he was “very grateful” for Braam’s “glorious management” of Unilever’s advertising and marketing and business agenda over the past 4 years, “and for her spectacular contribution to Unilever over three many years.”

He added: “As CDCO she has helped to remodel our firm right into a future-fit, absolutely digitized group.”

A digital legacy

Braams joined Unilever in 1990 as undertaking supervisor for Cup-a-Soup and shortly rose via the ranks.

Previous to main Unilever’s advertising and marketing throughout its 400-strong model roster, she held a number of senior positions together with SVP for Asia, Africa and the Center East in addition to EVP for Center Europe.

In her three-year tenure she has overhauled the construction of Unilever’s advertising and marketing division, setting up 5 new class advertising and marketing leaders throughout divisions together with magnificence and wellbeing, private care, house care, vitamin and ice-cream, who reported into her.

With ecommerce rising as a rising channel for the Ben & Jerry’s proprietor (Unilever’s digital revenues grew by 23% in 2022 accounting for 15% of all turnover) Braams was additionally laser centered on boosting the CPG’s inside digital capabilities.