Unilever plc : Unilever wins 2013 Catalyst Award for gender diversity

25/01/2013

NEW YORK (January 24, 2013) - Unilever, one of the world's largest consumer goods companies, was today named as a winner of the prestigious 2013 Catalyst Award, for its initiatives that expand opportunities for women and business.

Unilever was a joint winner of the award with Alcoa Inc. and The Coca Cola Company.

"This year's Catalyst Award-winning initiatives demonstrate that global gender diversity strategies at multinational corporations can be implemented in a way that meets the needs of local regions and businesses," said Ilene H.Lang, President & CEO, Catalyst. "And they are all championed by male CEOs who understand the strong business case for including women in top leadership and have made women's advancement a top organization-wide priority from day one."

Unilever CEO Paul Polman said: "We are delighted to be recognised by Catalyst for our long-standing commitment to gender balance. From our successful mentoring programme to our roll-out of flexible working, I am very encouraged by the progress we are making to help both men and women at Unilever reach their full potential."

"To achieve our company's ambition of doubling the size of our business whilst reducing our environmental impact and increasing our positive social impact, it is crucial that we build a diverse and engaged workforce were everybody can develop to his or her full potential. The benefits of having a gender-balanced organisation are plain to see; it helps power creativity and innovation, deepens the talent pool and allows us to better serve our diverse consumer base."

Since 1987, Catalyst has recognized exceptional business initiatives that advance women in the workplace with the Catalyst Award, which embodies Catalyst's vision of "Changing workplaces, Changing lives."

Unilever's initiative, Global Reach With Local Roots: Creating a Gender-Balanced Workforce in Different Cultural Contexts, accelerates the advancement of high-potential women across different regions and leverages the company's strong foundation of cultural diversity and multinational expertise to promote a culture of inclusion.

Alcoa Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, and Unilever will present in-depth discussions on their initiatives at the 2013 Catalyst Awards Conference at The Waldorf Astoria in New York on March 19, 2013. The Conference, which is sponsored by Wal-Mart, will feature keynote speaker Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO, Xerox Corporation.

In the evening, the 2013 Catalyst Awards Dinner, sponsored by RBC and Shell Oil Company, will be chaired by Denise Morrison, President and Chief Executive Officer of Campbell Soup Company. Close to 100 CEOs of major multinational corporations and firms are expected to attend, along with nearly 1,600 guests, including leaders of major corporations, firms, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations.

About Catalyst

Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization expanding opportunities for women and business. With offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, and India, and more than 600 members, Catalyst is the trusted resource for research, information, and advice about women at work. Catalyst annually honors exemplary organizational initiatives that promote women's advancement with the Catalyst Award.

About the Catalyst award

The Catalyst Award annually honors innovative organizational approaches with proven, measurable results that address the recruitment, development, and advancement of all women, including diverse women. Since 1987, Catalyst has recognized 79 initiatives at 73 organizations from around the world whose groundbreaking diversity and inclusion initiatives have changed workplaces, communities, and lives.

For more information about Unilever and its brands, please visit www.unilever.com.

Safe Harbour

This announcement may contain forward-looking statements, including 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as 'will', 'aim', 'expects', 'anticipates', 'intends', 'believes', 'vision', or the negative of these terms and other similar expressions of future performance or results, and their negatives, are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions regarding anticipated developments and other factors affecting the Group. They are not historical facts, nor are they guarantees of future performance.

Because these forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Among other risks and uncertainties, the material or principal factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are; Unilever's global brands not meeting consumer preferences; increasing competitive pressures; Unilever's investment choices in its portfolio management; finding sustainable solutions to support long-term growth; customer relationships; the recruitment and retention of talented employees; disruptions in our supply chain; the cost of raw materials and commodities; secure and reliable IT infrastructure; successful execution of acquisitions, divestitures and business transformation projects; economic and political risks and national disasters; the sovereign debt crisis in Europe; financial risks; and failure to meet high product safety and ethical standards; managing regulatory, tax and legal matters. Further details of potential risks and uncertainties affecting the Group are described in the Group's filings with the London Stock Exchange, Euronext Amsterdam and the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Group's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2011 and the Annual Report and Accounts 2011. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this announcement. Except as required by any applicable law or regulation, the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Group's expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

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For more information about the Conference and Dinner, please contact:

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