Re Directorate

Unilever PLC/
Unilever NV
9 February 2001

UNILEVER APPOINTMENTS

 
Professor Wim Dik (62) has been appointed an Advisory Director of Unilever
with effect from the Annual General Meetings on 9 May 2001. He will serve as
a member of the Nomination Committee and the Remuneration Committee.
 
Professor Dik teaches 'Management of Information Communication
Technology-oriented organisations' at the Delft University of Technology, the
Netherlands since 1999. From 1988 until his retirement last year he was CEO
of Koninklijke PTT Nederland and, after the split-up of this in 1989
privatised company, CEO of Koninklijke KPN. Prior to 1988 Professor Dik was a
Unilever employee, his last position being Chairman of the Board of
Nederlandse Unilever Bedrijven B.V.
 
Unilever directors Alexander Kemner (61), member of the Executive Committee
since 1996, and Roy Brown (54), currently chairman of Unilevers Europe
Committee, will retire after the Annual General Meetings, after 35 and 27
years service respectively.
 
Jan van der Bijl (51) has been appointed Joint Secretary of Unilever with
effect from 1 July 2001. He will succeed Jos Westerburgen (58), who will
retire, having been Joint Secretary for 13
years.

 
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES 
Professor Wim Dik completed his study of computer science and
telecommunications engineering at the Delft University of Technology, the
Netherlands in 1962. He joined Unilever in 1964 and held various positions in
the food- and chemical divisions. His last position was Chairman of the Board
of what was then called 'Nederlandse Unilever Bedrijven'. In between, from
1981 - 1982 he was Minister of Foreign Trade for the Netherlands. He joined
the Netherlands' PTT in 1988 and became at the privatisation in 1989 Chairman
of the Board of Management and CEO of Koninklijke PTT Nederland (post and
telecom).

At the split-up in 1998 he became Chairman of the Board of Management and CEO
of Koninklijke KPN (telecom). He retired in 2000. Currently Professor Dik
teaches 'Management of ICT-oriented organisations' at the Delft University of
Technology. Other functions include:
Member of the supervisory Board of ABN Amro Holding N.V.
Member of the supervisory Board of TNT Post Group
Member of the Board of Directors of Galileo International Group
Member of the Supervisory Board of Commercial General and Norwich Union.
Professor Dik is Grand officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau and Commander in
the order of the North Star (Sweden).
 
Alexander Kemner joined Unilever in 1966 at Van den Bergh & Jurgens in the
Netherlands and held various positions until 1972 when he was appointed
Marketing Manager Edible Fats of PT Unilever Indonesia. In 1976 he became
General Manager Foods and member of the board of PT Unilever Indonesia. In 1976
he went to the UK to become Managing Director of Van den Bergh UK, followed by a
promotion to the Netherlands as Chairman Van den Bergh & Jurgens in Rotterdam.
He became Operations Member/Deputy Co-ordinator Foods & Drinks co-ordination in
1986. In 1989 he became Director of Unilever/Co-ordinator Food & Drinks and in
1990 member of the Foods Executive, responsible for the South Europe Region. In
1993 he became Regional Director East-Asia Pacific Region. In 1996 he was
appointed in his current position of Member of the Executive Committee, Director
Foods Category.
 

Roy Brown joined Unilever in 1974 in the UK and held various commercial
positions until 1980 when he was appointed Commercial Director of Food
Industries in the UK. In 1982 he became Commercial Director and later
Chairman and Managing Director Samol Plantations in Malaysia. He returned to
the UK in 1986 to become Operations Manager Aquaculture/Plantation Materials,
followed in 1987 by a position of Chairman PBI. He then served as Technical
Director Birds Eye Wall's and Chairman of Lever Brothers before he joined the
Unilever Board in 1992. He took up his current position as Business Group
President Foods and Beverages Europe in 1996.

 
Jan van der Bijl joined Unilever in 1987. He has a degree in Fiscal Law from
the University of Leiden and worked for the Dutch Ministry of Finance and the
employers federation VNO/NCW before becoming member of Unilever's Tax
Executive. He was appointed Head of Corporate Taxation Department as per 1
March 2000. He wil combine this function with his new role as Joint Secretary
as of 1 July 2001. Jan van der Bijl is a member of several tax committees
such as those of VNO/NCW, the European employers federation UNICE, the
European Round Table and the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the
OECD.
 
Jos Westerburgen joined Unilever in 1984 to become Head of the Corporate
Taxation Department after having worked for the Dutch Ministry of Finance. In
1988 he became Joint Secretary, in addition to his responsibility for the
Corporate Tax Department.
 
 

February 9 2001