In recent years Unilever - spearheaded by Esi Eggleston Bracey as Chief Growth & Marketing Officer – has been transforming the way it markets its brands and engages with consumers at a time of remarkable industry change and in an era of digital revolution. The transformation has now reached a stage where even greater ownership and proximity to Unilever’s Business Groups will drive increased impact.
Leandro Barreto, currently Chief Marketing Officer for Unilever’s Beauty & Wellbeing Business Group, will therefore extend his remit to take accountability for Unilever’s enterprise-wide marketing agenda, becoming Chief Marketing Officer, Unilever and Beauty & Wellbeing, from 1 January 2026.
Leandro has over 20 years of marketing experience and is recognised both internally and externally for his disruptive creativity and ability to build culturally relevant brands. He is perfectly positioned to lead the next stage of Unilever’s marketing transformation and connect Business Group level execution with Unilever’s long-term capability ambitions.
As part of these changes, Esi will be leaving Unilever at the end of January 2026, after eight successful years with the company. Esi joined Unilever in 2018 to lead Beauty & Personal Care for North America, delivering a step-change in performance and helping lay the foundations for breakthrough growth momentum in the US business. During her tenure as Chief Growth & Marketing Officer, she redefined how Unilever builds demand globally. Esi will work alongside Leandro during January to ensure a smooth transition.
Fernando Fernandez, Unilever CEO said: “I would like to thank Esi for her significant contribution to Unilever and wish her every success in the next chapter of her career. With strong groundwork now in place, I know Leandro will make a big impact in his expanded role as we accelerate desire at scale and turn Unilever into a true marketing and sales machine.”