Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods multinational whose vast stable of brands includes Dove, Knorr and Ben & Jerry's, is basing its headquarters in the Netherlands, ending its longstanding structure of having head offices in both Rotterdam and London, the company announced Thursday.
While there had been speculation that Unilever could opt to base itself on mainland Europe because of Britain's departure from the European Union, the company did not mention Brexit in its announcement. It said the move is part of a raft of structural changes that will turn the company into "a simpler, more agile and more focused business."
Unilever launched a far-reaching review of its business after rival Kraft Heinz launched an ultimately unsuccessful $143 billion hostile takeover bid early last year.
The company said that its employment of 7,300 people in Britain and 3,100 people in the Netherlands would be unaffected by the changes. More