Unilever PLC (ULVR) Q1 2025 Earnings Call

Investor webinar replay

Replay transcript excerpt

Good morning and welcome to Unilever's first quarter trading statement. Thank you for joining us. All of today's webcast is available live transcribed on the screen. I will be joined by Srini Patak, who took over as acting CFO in March. Srini has been a key partner for me as deputy CFO and group controller, having previously been a very successful industrial Unilever CFO. I am sure you will enjoy your interaction with Srini in the near future. It is a great honor to speak to you as CEO of Unilever. As this is my first quarterly announcement since becoming CEO, let me address upfront the question of the recent leadership change. As I have said on a number of occasions now, this was a forward-looking decision by the board. Organizationally, strategically, and operationally, we have made significant developments over recent years, all of which are helping to make Unilever a stronger, better-performing business. well prepared to face the future. Underpinning these big moves, there has been also a renewed focus inside the company on performance and executions, the effects of which we see reflected in improving competitiveness and improving results. In short, the fundamentals of the business are strong and we have good momentum. For the next phase of our transformation, our task is to make Unilever a world-class company in terms of brand demand creation and market execution. In a consumer goods environment where the traditional models of reach and persuasion are gone, these are the areas in which I have focused for most of my career, with a proven track record. In taking on the role, I have made clear that I will be a frontline CEO, driving the company to look outward and forward. What does that mean in practice? It means a ruthless obsession with the consumer, focusing on...