Unilever: Corporate Venturing and Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

This case focuses on how Jan-Kees Vis, a middle-echelon staff worker at Unilever Foods, champions his ideas for environmental sustainability. Despite his position and company reorganization, he manages to affect corporate environmental policy and operational strategy. Although the case's primary emphasis is on Vis's tactics, the integration of sustainability into Unilever's mission statement is a central theme. The case can be used as an aid for instruction on internal corporate venturing, sustainable-policy development, and environmental sustainability strategy. See also the Unilever A, B, C, and D cases (UVA-E-0153, UVA-E-0154, UVA-UVA-E-0155, and UVA-E-0156). A teaching note is available to registered faculty.

Excerpt

UVA-E-0152

Unilever: Corporate Venturing and

Environmental Sustainability

In 1994 Dr. Jan-Kees Vis was attending a social function for his new job with the Unilever Foods Executive Quality Assurance Group (FEQAG). At the reception, Vis was approached by his new boss, Jan Peelen, the Chairman of the Foods Executive, who had operational and strategic responsibility for Unilever's food product businesses in Europe and North America. In the ensuing discussion, Peelen asked him about his plans for his new position.

Vis had joined FEQAG to work on establishing an environmental audit program and to create training courses for environmental managers at the various Unilever operating facilities. He had discussed this role with senior-level managers within Unilever Foods prior to his taking the job, and they supported this role.

Vis, who had a PhD in chemistry, previously worked in a Unilever margarine factory. At that post, he examined the effect Unilever products were having on the environment at all stages of their life cycles. He studied various margarine products to quantify their environmental impacts and to make environmental efficiency improvements. He left this job for a position at FEQAG where he would be involved in designing the tools to help Unilever operating companies comply with environmental policy.

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Keywords: environment sustainable business entrepreneurship corporate policy venturing globalization strategic development