Prior to taking the helm at Unilever, Polman was a top executive of both Procter & Gamble and Nestle. Polman was chief financial officer and executive vice president at Nestle, where he was also responsible for leading the Americas businesses.
With 26 years of experience at Procter & Gamble, Polman served in a number of key leadership capacities, culminating in his appointment as group president Europe and officer of the Procter & Gamble.
Andrew Liveris, chairman and CEO of Dow, said: “Paul Polman has a demonstrated track record in the household and consumers products markets. His experience and international perspective will be instrumental in helping guide the implementation of our transformational strategy to a more performance-based, market-focused company. Paul’s financial savvy, customer-focus and commitment to sustainability make him a tremendous addition to the Dow board.”