<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Alan Jope, chief executive of Unilever, will retire his role at the end of 2023, the British consumer goods group announced Monday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>Scotland-born Jope, who this year came under fierce criticism from investor activists over a failed takeover bid, will depart Unilever after five years as CEO and nearly four decades at the company, a statement said.</div><div><br></div><div>Unilever brands include Magnum ice cream, Cif surface cleaner and Dove soap.</div><div><br></div><div>"As I approach my fifth year as CEO, and after more than 35 years in Unilever, I believe now is the right time for the board to begin the formal search for my successor," Jope said.</div><div><br></div><div>"Growth remains our top priority, and in the quarters ahead I will remain fully focused on disciplined execution of our strategy, and leveraging the full benefits of our new organisation."</div><div><br></div><div>Jope leaves after Unilever's recent failed $50-billion bid for the former health care unit of drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline.</div><div><br></div><div>In response, Jope slashed around 1,500 management jobs worldwide in a major restructure of the company, seen as a bid to appease unhappy investors.</div><div><br></div><div>"Unilever has seen improved performance, enabled by its clear strategic choices and a significant company transformation," chairman Nils Andersen added in Monday's statement.</div><div><br></div><div>"The board will now conduct an orderly succession process and support Alan and the management team in further driving the performance of Unilever."</div><div><br></div><div>Under Jope, Unilever became a wholly British company at the end of 2020 after it completed a merger of its Dutch and British corporate entities.</div><div><br></div><div>The group's most recent results revealed first-half revenues jumped on higher prices, but net profit fell on rising costs and taxation.</div><div><br></div><div>Input costs for companies worldwide have soared in 2022 on sky-high inflation and global supply-chain pressures.</div><div><br></div><div>Unilever's share price jumped 1.7 percent to almost £41 ($44) following the announcement on the London stock market. - AFP </div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>