This story has been updated to include leadership changes at Sundial.
Unilever’s executive staff is undergoing changes after North America president Amanda Sourry has announced her retirement. In addition, Sundial Brands has announced a change in leadership.
Previously: Unilever's Q3 Results
Fabian Garcia, who previously served as the president and chief executive of Revlon has been appointed president and will join Unilever on January 1. Sourry will support the leadership transition into the beginning of 2020. Garcia will report to CEO Nitin Paranjpe.
Conny Braams, Unilever Middle Europe executive vice president, has been appointed chief digital and marketing officer. She will also begin her new role on January 1. Unilever Middle Europe will be announcing a new executive vice president in time.
Meanwhile, NARS executive Cara Sabin has been appointed CEO of Sundial Brands, succeeding founder Richelieu Dennis (who started the company 28 years ago with his mother, Mary Dennis, and best friend Nyema Tubman), who is stepping down as CEO and chair of the brand to oversee its new social mission board and engage in entrepreneurial activities. The move is effective immediately.
Sabin will report to Esi Eggleston Bracey, executive vice president and chief operating officer, North America beauty and personal care, Unilever.
Sabin previously held roles with Nars at Shiseido, as well as positions at Johnson & Johnson and Korres.
The social mission board "will scale Sundial’s Community Commerce economic empowerment and impact model across the global organization, as well as provide insights, strategy and learnings across Unilever," according to the company. Members of the board will include Mary Dennis, Richelyna Hall and Emmet Dennis.
Previously: Why Sundial Brands is Investing in Women of Color
Community Commerce focuses on the reinvestment of resources into the international communities in which the brand does business with a particular focus on supporting women and entrepreneurs with opportunities to "create lasting value for themselves and others," per Unilever.
“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to [Sourry] for her significant contribution to Unilever over so many years,” Unilever CEO Alan Jope said. “Her strategic clarity, operational experience and passion for developing talent have made her one of the company’s best leaders of recent times. We wish her all the best for the future. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Fabian, a truly global and purpose-driven business leader, who brings to Unilever deep experience of the consumer goods industry in North America and many other markets, as well as an impressive track record of high performance.”
Jope continued, “Conny Braams is one of our most successful and talented leaders, as well as a highly effective driver of change. As our new chief digital and marketing officer, her experience will be critical to the transformation of Unilever into a future-fit, fully digitized organization at the leading edge of consumer marketing.”
“When we created the Community Commerce business model almost 30 years ago, my family and I did so with a belief that we could build a successful business that also contributed to and invested in the building of other businesses and the sustainable economic empowerment of underserved people and communities,” said Dennis. “Different from charity or philanthropy, Community Commerce was our mission and our passion long before concepts like ‘purpose-driven’ became popular, and it continues to be the cornerstone of everything we do. As I move forward with increased focus on my entrepreneurial endeavors and investments, including our $100 million New Voices Fund for women of color entrepreneurs, I’m also excited to expand Community Commerce across Sundial and Unilever through the Social Mission Board and scale a proven model that fuses business performance and societal well-being. This has always been, and will always be, our North Star.”
“As someone who has consistently redefined the rules of entrepreneurship through his service and impact, we are thrilled Richelieu will be leading the Social Mission Board and partnering with Unilever to ensure that the principles of Community Commerce guide the company’s business and societal impact globally moving forward,” said Bracey.
“I’m incredibly excited to join the Sundial family and can’t wait to lead the company to its next level of impact and growth,” said Sabin. “It’s an honor to lead a company whose legacy and purpose so tightly align with my personal passion, and I look forward to working with the Social Mission Board to scale our social mission and impact.”
“I’m thrilled to have Cara join the Sundial team,” said Bracey. “Cara brings an impressive record of supporting, growing and sustaining venerable businesses in the beauty category, and I look forward to the expertise and passion she will bring to the Sundial business.”
Richelieu Dennis added, “I wish Cara the best as she steps in to lead this business into a new phase of innovation and impact. This is an extraordinary time for Sundial Brands as the opportunities to build upon its legacy and create its future rooted in purpose and community are limitless.”
