Recently, it was reported that Qu Wei, the President of Unilever China and the General Manager of the North Asia Region of the Beauty and Health Care Division, has decided to resign. The successor is Chen Ge from FrieslandCampina China, who will assume the roles of President of Unilever China and General Manager of the Beauty and Health Care Division in China, with the term taking effect on August 15th this year.
Upon receiving this information, CHAILEEDO immediately contacted Unilever China for verification, and they confirmed the news.
It is understood that during Chen Ge’s five years leading FrieslandCampina China, the company achieved continuous growth in performance, with its FrieslandCampina increasing its market share in the infant formula milk powder category to the top five. However, looking at Chen Ge’s past experience, despite her 20 years in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, she has had very little intersection with beauty products. What did Unilever see in her that made them choose her?
Unilever Veteran Qu Wei Resigns
News of Chen Ge’s departure from FrieslandCampina to join Unilever had been circulating in the industry since the end of July, and now it’s official. CHAILEEDO has learned that in an internal open letter, Qu Wei stated, “I have decided to leave Unilever this October.”
In response, Unilever stated that Qu Wei’s resignation was due to “seeking external opportunities” and also provided a high appraisal of his many years of work.
(Left:Qu Wei, Right: Chen Ge )
Public records show that Qu Wei has served Unilever for nearly 20 years. He first joined Unilever in 1998, later switching to the multinational food company Danone (the parent company of brands like Aptamil and Evian) for a few years before returning to Unilever in 2016 as the Vice President of the North Asia Region’s Home Care category and General Manager of the Truliva Group.
In 2020, Qu Wei took on the leadership of the Home Care, Beauty, and Personal Care departments, and in 2022, he assumed the roles of President of Unilever China and General Manager of the Beauty and Health Care Division in North Asia.
During his time at Unilever, Qu Wei led his business units to impressive achievements, such as achieving double-digit growth for Unilever China in 2021. However, during his tenure as President of Unilever China, the company faced significant challenges due to sustained consumer weakness.
According to Unilever’s recent half-year report, the company’s revenue in the first half of this year increased by 2.3% year-on-year to 31.117 billion euros, with an operating profit of 5.9 billion euros, both reaching historic highs. However, looking specifically at the Chinese market, Unilever noted in its financial report that while the Asia-Pacific and Africa region as a whole achieved positive growth, sales in the Chinese market declined.
In the aforementioned internal letter, Qu Wei summarized his final career stage at Unilever as “from creating double-digit leap growth to crossing cycles and steadily moving forward in market fluctuations. We have achieved significant milestone results over the past few years.”
Unilever China’s Beauty Sector to Make a Strong Push?
Recently, several international beauty conglomerates have made new statements regarding their strategies in the Chinese market. Undoubtedly, Unilever also needs a new narrative in China, and Chen Ge has become the new storyteller.
It is reported that before joining FrieslandCampina, Chen Ge worked at The Kraft Heinz Company for 11 years in key positions. Additionally, she has also held positions at Procter & Gamble, Li Fengying, and other companies. Her five years at the helm of FrieslandCampina China have been her shining moments.
Financial reports indicate that in 2023, FrieslandCampina achieved revenue of 13.1 billion euros, and FrieslandCampina China has maintained double-digit growth for four consecutive years, with its market share steadily increasing. In the first half of this year, FrieslandCampina China once again achieved double-digit growth in business.
With a rich career and outstanding achievements, Chen Ge is described by Unilever as having “entrepreneurial spirit and a drive for operational excellence, challenging the status quo with transformative leadership and dedicating herself to developing digital business.”
Bold innovation, extraordinary leadership, and decision-making are exactly what Unilever needs. It is understood that after joining Unilever China, Chen Ge will report directly to Unilever’s Global President of Beauty and Health, Priya Nair.
CHAILEEDO has learned that in the first half of this year, Unilever’s the Beauty & Well-being business reported Q2 turnover of €3.4 billion, a 6.3% increase year-on-year, with underlying sales growth of 6.8%.
In China, Unilever’s brands like Clear, Dove, and Vaseline are well-known. In recent years, Unilever has refreshed its main brand’s image, products, and various aspects. In the high-end beauty sector, while Unilever’s high-end beauty department operates in partnership with Hangzhou GoLong Holdings Limited under the brand GoUni, brands like Tatcha and Hourglass are also making strides in the Chinese market.
Beauty and health are crucial for Unilever’s performance growth, focusing on flagship brands and the high-end beauty sector. Consequently, since Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher took office last year, he has actively promoted the sale of non-core beauty and personal care brands.
Overall, Schumacher has proposed three major action plans to drive Unilever’s growth and profitability: “Accelerate Growth,” “Productivity and Simplification,” and “Performance Culture.”
It is worth mentioning that under Schumacher’s leadership, Unilever has made significant personnel adjustments in its four major business segments. Chen Ge, who is about to take up a new role, has worked closely with Schumacher for many years. It is known that Schumacher’s previous position before joining Unilever was as the CEO of FrieslandCampina, and he has also worked at Heinz.
It is foreseeable that with the implementation of a series of strategies and the establishment of a new leadership team, Unilever will face a new era of reform in both the Chinese and global markets.
