Fernando Fernandez

CEO and key executive at Unilever, leading the strategic separation of its food business and transformation into a pure-play Home and Personal Care (HPC) company.

Claims

As speaker

Mentioned in

Key positions and views

The separation of the food business via a Reverse Morris Trust with McCormick is the most value-accretive and tax-efficient path forward for Unilever shareholders.

The remaining pure-play HPC business is an undervalued, high-growth entity that, once separated, will command a higher market valuation.

Aggressive and sustained investment in brand marketing, combined with modern engagement tactics like brand recommenders, is the primary engine for superior organic growth.

Significant untapped growth potential remains in emerging markets like India, where Unilever's dominant market share can capitalize on low category penetration.

A disciplined approach to capital allocation, including managing stranded costs and executing a large, pre-announced share buyback, is critical to delivering shareholder value post-transaction.

Podcast consensus on Fernandez

Points of consensus

▶The combination of Unilever's food business and McCormick will create a new company with $20 billion in revenue, a point stated in multiple claims and a direct quote.Apr 2026

▶The merger is expected to generate €600 million in cost synergies, a figure that is repeated across claims and emphasized in a quote.Apr 2026

▶The separation of the food business was initiated by an inbound proposal from McCormick, not as a proactive disposal by Unilever.Apr 2026

▶Unilever's remaining pure-play Home and Personal Care (HPC) business is currently trading at a significant 20-25% valuation discount compared to its peers.Apr 2026

Points of debate

▶Value Creation vs. Disruption Costs: Fernandez champions the deal's value creation (€600M in synergies, tax efficiency) while also acknowledging it will incur significant costs, including €400-€500 million in stranded overhead and a €500 million restructuring spend over three years.Apr 2026

▶Strong Performance vs. Market Valuation: He highlights the HPC business's strong historical growth (5.4% CAGR) but simultaneously notes the market has not rewarded this performance, as evidenced by a persistent 20-25% valuation discount to peers.Apr 2026

▶Aggressive Investment vs. Margin Discipline: Fernandez details a plan to significantly increase brand marketing investment to 18% of revenue for the HPC business, while also managing the financial impact of stranded costs and targeting a starting operating margin of 19%.Apr 2026

▶Shareholder Returns vs. Reinvestment: The plan involves a large €6 billion share buyback funded by the deal, while also committing to a high dividend payout ratio (60%) and significantly increased marketing spend, indicating a complex balance between returning capital and reinvesting for growth.Apr 2026

Key themes

▶Strategic Separation for Value UnlockingApr 2026

Fernandez's core narrative revolves around the strategic separation of Unilever's food business and its combination with McCormick. This move is presented as a tax-efficient (Reverse Morris Trust) transaction designed to create a focused, higher-growth HPC company and a new food powerhouse, ultimately unlocking value for shareholders who will own a majority of the new entity.

The strategy is framed not as a simple divestment of a less desirable asset, but as the creation of two stronger, specialized public companies, suggesting a core belief that the prior conglomerate structure was actively suppressing the valuation of both divisions.

▶Forging a Pure-Play HPC Powerhouse

Fernandez outlines a clear vision for the remaining Unilever as a €39 billion HPC-focused company. He emphasizes its superior growth profile, driven by its top 25 brands (7% CAGR), a significant and defensible presence in emerging markets like India, and a robust financial structure with high margins and strong cash conversion.

By simplifying the business story and focusing on its highest-performing segments, Fernandez is directly addressing the company's valuation discount and positioning the new Unilever as a more predictable, higher-growth investment proposition for the market.

▶Accelerated Growth Through Aggressive Brand InvestmentApr 2026

A key pillar of the future growth strategy is a substantial increase in brand marketing investment, which will rise to 18% of revenue for the HPC business post-separation. This is complemented by modern marketing tactics, such as expanding a network of brand recommenders to nearly 300,000 people to amplify brands like Liquid IV and Dove.

Unilever's growth model under Fernandez is heavily reliant on driving organic growth through massive marketing spend and leveraging influencer-style networks, signaling a strategic pivot towards more direct consumer engagement and brand-building over pure operational efficiency.

▶Disciplined Financial Engineering and Shareholder ReturnsApr 2026

The entire transaction is presented as a meticulously planned financial operation. Fernandez details the tax-efficient deal structure, a clear plan to manage and eliminate €400-€500 million in stranded costs, and an explicit commitment to shareholder returns via a €6 billion share buyback funded by the deal's proceeds.

Fernandez is communicating to investors that the immense complexity of the separation is being proactively managed with clear financial targets for costs, deleveraging, and direct capital returns, aiming to build confidence in the execution of the plan.

Source episodes

Timeline

Last 3-4 Years

Established a foundation of growth where the HPC business achieved a 5.4% compound annual growth rate and brand marketing investment was increased from 13.1% of revenue.

Recent Past

Received an unsolicited, inbound proposal from McCormick, which initiated the board's unanimous decision to pursue the separation of the food business.

Current

Announced the definitive agreement with McCormick and implemented immediate cost-control measures, such as a three-month hiring freeze, to manage the transition.

Next 12-15 Months

The transaction is expected to undergo and complete regulatory and antitrust reviews required for closing.

Next 2-3 Years

Post-transaction period focused on integration and synergy realization. The new McCormick company is expected to deleverage from 4x to 3x net debt to EBITDA, and Unilever will provide transitional services.

2026-2029

Unilever plans to execute a €6 billion share buyback program, deploying the cash proceeds received from the McCormick transaction to shareholders.

Suggested prompts

How does Fernandez plan to close the 20-25% valuation gap with HPC peers after the separation is complete? &nearr;What are the primary execution risks to achieving the projected €600 million in cost synergies from the McCormick merger? &nearr;Beyond the top 25 brands, what is the strategy for the remaining 20% of the HPC portfolio that generates lower growth? &nearr;How will the return on the significantly increased brand marketing investment (to 18% of revenue) be measured and justified to shareholders? &nearr;

Key concepts

McCormick Transaction 21 ep HPC Business Performance & Profile 14 ep Financial Metrics & Targets 10 ep Brand Growth & Marketing Strategy 9 ep Cost Management & Synergies 5 ep Emerging Markets Strategy 5 ep Shareholder Value & Returns 3 ep US Market Performance 2 ep

Notable quotes

“we are combining here two businesses resulting in a 20 billion revenue for the new McCormick”

Fernando Fernandez · Barclays: Fireside chat with Fernando Fernandez, CEO

“we give exposure to Unilever shareholders between Unilever 10% stake and Unilever shareholders owning 55% of McCormick”

Fernando Fernandez · Barclays: Fireside chat with Fernando Fernandez, CEO

“There are definitely cost synergies that are real. We have estimated that in 600 million.”

Fernando Fernandez · Barclays: Fireside chat with Fernando Fernandez, CEO

“there is a significant value discount, valuation discount versus peers of around 20-25%.”

Fernando Fernandez · Barclays: Fireside chat with Fernando Fernandez, CEO

Report last updated: Apr 21, 2026

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