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Unilever boss to talk at Leeds Beckett University
As part of the Britain’s Most Admired Companies 2016 lecture series, Gina will consider how Unilever is able to deliver a brighter future by making sustainable living commonplace - a concept founder, William Lever, instilled over 125 years ago.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 6-7pm on Thursday 13 October at the University’s Rose Bowl building. Places can be booked here.
Speaking ahead of the lecture, Professor Christopher Prince, Pro Vice Chancellor at Leeds Beckett, said: “Our Britain’s Most Admired Companies 2016 lecture series offers the chance to hear business leaders from a range of backgrounds share their expertise around developments and key issues of relevance to business and professional practice.
“The lectures are open to our students and those in business, providing a valuable professional networking opportunity and we are very much looking forward to hearing from Gina as she offers us an insight into Unilever’s continued success.”
Announced the country’s most admired company in the annual survey of Britain’s Most Admired Companies in December 2015, Unilever has appeared in the top 20 every year since the study began in 1990, taking the top prize previously in 2010.
Managed by Professor Mike Brown at Leeds Beckett, the survey is the only academic study of its kind in the UK, measuring companies’ reputational success based on the perceptions of its peers: business leaders and city analysts in Britain. It is published every year in Management Today.
Professor Brown explained: “Like individuals, companies have personalities and reputations. A company’s reputation is based on how people think and feel about a company. The survey attempts to capture the tacit knowledge of these two key constituent groups whose jobs rely on their knowing about other companies within the industry sector.”
Leading the UK and Irish business, Gina takes responsibility for the company’s fourth largest market, having previously led Unilever’s multibillion dollar personal care division in North America where she was responsible for its market-leading skin, hair and deodorant products.
Gina was recognised as a “Woman to Watch” by Advertising Age, a major source of news and comment for the global marketing and media community. Women’s Wear Daily, a leading authority on news and trends in the worlds of fashion, beauty and retail, ranked Gina among its “50 Most Influential People in Beauty” and also named her “Marketer of the Year”. Cosmetic Executive Women, a forum for professionals working in the beauty industry, placed her in its “Top 50 2015 Brand Innovator” list and also crowned her “Achiever of the Year”.