Unilever in hunt for brand head

Unilever brand vice-president William Brown has been made interim marketing director for personal care.

The move to Lever Fabergé is a sideways step for Brown, whose Unilever brand role gave him responsibility for the global corporate identity of Unilever, developing it with a new logo and mission statement in May last year (MW February 19,2004).

Brown will fill in for Jacqui Hill, who took maternity leave at the beginning of this month. Hill was behind the £4m Dove “real women” campaign. He will now report to chairman Keith Weed.

A spokesman for the Anglo-Dutch group says a new vice-president for the Unilever brand has not yet been appointed and the brand team will carry out Brown’s duties until the vacancy is filled.

Brown’s background is mainly in food, although he also worked for Unilever as marketing director for beverages in the UK. He will be given another role towards the end of the year, when Hill is expected to return.