Unilever is one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer goods. Its main business areas include the production of food, cosmetics, personal care, household and textile care products.

With our Beauty & Wellbeing brands, we want to usher in a new era of beauty and well-being. One that includes everyone. Equally. Regenerative. Positive.

Louis Widmer's "Committed to Care" campaign anchors the company's sustainability promise at all levels. It covers five areas, including the value chain, treatment of employees, and commitment within and outside the company. The high standards we set for our products and operations extend to their sustainability.

Bernhard Schober, Head of UNILEVER SWITZERLAND

Five questions for Bernhard Schober, Head of UNILEVER SWITZERLAND

01.

What is your company proud of?

Unilever is one of the world's leading consumer goods manufacturers. We develop and distribute various brands such as Knorr, Chirat, Magnum, Ben & Jerry's, Rexona Axe, Sun, Omo and many more in over 190 countries. As a company, we are proud of our long tradition. In 1883, founder William Lever launched Sunlight Soap, the world's first product with a so-called "purpose". These are products that have far more to offer than pure product benefits. This is still deeply rooted in the way we run our business today. We want to have an impact on the world's social and ecological problems and improve people's lives with our products.

02.

What have been the most significant changes in your business in recent years?

Given Unilever's global presence and the size and diversification of our portfolio, we depend on supply chains that are reliable, fast and competitive. The increasing volatility of global supply chains is a key change for our business that we have encountered in recent years. The pandemic, crises and conflicts around the world and blockades of important sea and transport routes have taught us how important it is to have a global supply chain with diverse sources. This means that we need to constantly tap into new suppliers in new regions in order to close availability gaps and increase the resilience of our supply chains.

03.

Why are you an SKW member, where can the SKW help you the most and what have been your best experiences with the SKW?

For us as a manufacturer of cosmetics and cleaning products, it is essential to be up to date with the latest legislation. Membership of the SKW is therefore extremely helpful for us to be informed about upcoming new Swiss regulations and to be in dialogue with the cosmetics, detergents and cleaning agents industry and the association's expert committees. The fact that the SKW represents our interests vis-à-vis politicians is of great importance for our business and contributes to a fair market environment and the best possible results for both the industry and consumers.

The fact that the SKW represents our interests vis-à-vis politicians is of great importance for our business and contributes to a fair market environment and the best possible results for both the industry and consumers.

04.

What opportunities and challenges do you see for your company in the near future?

Climate change is the greatest threat to humanity, and as a consumer goods manufacturer we have a great responsibility to reduce our CO₂ emissions accordingly. To meet this challenge with appropriate solutions, we have set ourselves ambitious targets in the areas of climate, nature, plastics and living standards. One of the biggest challenges for us, and the entire industry, is packaging. We aim to halve our consumption of virgin plastic by 2025 compared to 2018 and end plastic pollution through reduction, circular economy and partnerships. To this end, we continue to campaign for a Global Plastics Treaty, among other things.

05.

What are your expectations and concerns for the SKW for the future?

We at Unilever Switzerland greatly appreciate the constructive dialogue with the SKW. Shaping sensible regulations in line with the interests of the industry, knowing the applicable regulations and being able to comply with them in the interests of consumers is very important to us. We are therefore very pleased to have the SKW's continued support for upcoming changes to regulations and laws and to be able to continue to build on the large and resilient network that the association offers us.

About Unilever

Founded:	1929
Location:	Thayngen
Employees:	approx. 450

www.unilever.com