Unilever Chief Sustainability Officer Steps Down

Unilever’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer Rebecca Marmot announced that she is stepping down after more than 6 years in the top sustainability role at the global consumer brands giant.

In a LinkedIn post announcing the move, Marmot said:

“In July, I announced that I would be stepping down as Chief Sustainability & Corporate Affairs Officer at Unilever to embark on a new opportunity – and now that time has come.

“I feel excited about the future but it’s also been a wrench to leave. Leading Unilever’s external engagement and sustainability work globally has been absolutely brilliant.”

Marmot added that she will be succeeded by Michael Stewart, who joined the company in October as Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer. While Unilever confirmed in an email message that Stewart will now oversee the company’s sustainability strategy and lead its global sustainability team, in addition to his corporate affairs and communications responsibilities, his title does not include Chief Sustainability Officer.

Marmot joined Unilever in 2007 as Global External Affairs Manager, and was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer in 2019. In January 2025, her position was expanded to Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, as the company merged leadership of corporate affairs, external communications and sustainability into a single role.

Stewart joined Unilever from global professional services firm PwC, where he served as Global Corporate Affairs and Communications Leader. Prior to joining PwC, he worked at public relations an public affairs company Edelman, serving for three years as President and CEO for Europe and CIS, and three years as Global Vice Chairman.