Carl Cruz assumes duties as Unilever Sri Lanka Chairman

With effect from 1 March Carl Cruz assumed duties as Chairman of Unilever Sri Lanka, taking the helm from his predecessor, Shazia Syed, who has returned to Pakistan to assume her duties as the Chief Executive Officer of Unilever Pakistan.

Carl arrived in Sri Lanka from the Philippines, where he last served as the Vice President of Customer Development for Unilever Philippines. Under his leadership, the function was transformed into an execution and talent powerhouse for the business, while simultaneously achieving sustainable double digit growth. 

Joining Unilever immediately after graduating from university in 1992, Carl began his career in General Trade before eventually becoming the company’s first General Trade Development Manager. In 1999 as the Sales Development and Trade Marketing Manager, he setup Unilever’s Category Management and Retail Solutions capability which was critical in attaining thought leadership in the Philippines Retail Trade Industry. In his 24 years with the organisation Carl has gained an extensive breadth and depth of experience in Customer Development and Marketing in the Philippines, Thailand and India.

Speaking about the business he has inherited, Cruz said: “Sri Lanka is an important market for us and these are exciting times for the country. Over the last two years, the Unilever Sri Lanka team has worked diligently to ensure the growth of the business and delivered exceptional results. We have the right mindset and ambition to capitalise on the current situation. I look forward to energising our team, building on the gains we have made and bringing to life our vision of improving the lives of Sri Lankan consumers.” 

Unilever Sri Lanka is one of the biggest FMCG companies in Sri Lanka, with 29 market leading brands in categories such as Home Care, Personal Care and Foods. The company was established in Sri Lanka in 1938 with brands such as Sunlight, Lux and Pears Rose. 

Unilever’s corporate purpose is to make sustainable living commonplace. The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan sets out to decouple the company’s growth from environmental impact, while increasing its positive social impact. The plan has three big goals that by 2020 will help improve people’s health and well-being, reduce the company’s environmental footprint, and enhance livelihoods across its value chain.