Unilever 2008 Annual Report Download - page 11

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Report of the Directors
Chief Executive Officer’s review continued
To re-ignite volume growth, we also need to concentrate on
improving our capabilities in the marketplace – from leveraging
the global scale of our supply chain to sharpening the focus
we give to our more successful and fastest growing customers.
And finally, we will continue to develop the organisation itself,
building a strong performance culture around the principles
of clear accountability, a bias for action, speed of delivery and
external focus.
2009 will be a challenging year. The depth and uncertainty of
the current recession means that we must be able to respond
quickly to rapidly changing market conditions. I am confident
that we have the tools and the organisation to do that. If we
can, then we will emerge from the current difficulties stronger
than ever, just as we have done many times before.
Paul Polman
Chief Executive Officer
• Weareensuringthatourbrandsaddresstheneedsof
value-conscious consumers everywhere. Our Bertolli
restaurant-quality Italian dinners for two, for example, offer
North American consumers an excellent alternative to eating
out. And in South East Asia, our Knorr brand has been quick
to introduce low-cost single units of stock and seasoning.
• Finally,weareusingthecurrenteconomicenvironmentto
bring about a step change in our approach to costs and cash
flow. Hence, we are accelerating our savings programmes and
reducingmanydiscretionarycosts.Wearealsochallenging
ourselves to be ever more efficient and striving to be
best-in-class in the management of working capital.
In conclusion, 2008 was a good year for Unilever. In volatile
markets and in the face of a severe economic downturn the
Group’s performance stood up well.
Our priority in 2009 will be to get sales volumes growing again,
both sustainably and profitably. That is why we are focusing on
driving our costs down faster, so that we can reinvest in the
businessandstrengthenourbrands.Wearealsofocusingin2009
on improving the size and quality of our innovations, and rolling
them out further and faster around the world. In 2008, for
example,welaunchedDove‘GoFresh’inJanuaryintwomarkets.
Withinsixmonthsitwasineightmarkets,andbytheendofthe
yearin55.Wecandoit.Wejustneedtodoitmoreoften.
Unilever Executive (UEx)
Responsible for the performance
of the Group, guided by the
Chief Executive Officer
Left to right:
Harish Manwani
President, Asia, Africa and
Central & Eastern Europe
Jim Lawrence
ChiefFinancialOfcer
Sandy Ogg
Chief HR Officer
Michael Polk
President, Americas
Vindi Banga
President,Foods,
Home & Personal Care
Geneviève Berger
Chief R&D Officer
Doug Baillie
President,WesternEurope
8 Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2008