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Unilever Invests in Leadership Facility

7/2/2013
Unilever announces the opening of Four Acres Singapore, the company’s first global leadership development center outside of the UK. This €50m facility will play a key role in developing the talent to lead Unilever, as it aims to double the size of the business, while halving its environmental impact and increasing its positive social impact.

Unilever’s decision to locate the new facility in Asia highlights the company’s increasing focus on developing and emerging markets, which now account for over 55 percent of its global revenue. In the past three years, Unilever has grown consistently, increasing turnover by over €10bn. Four Acres Singapore will help increase the supply of talented leaders to sustain this momentum.
Four Acres Singapore will be used to develop leaders with a ‘purpose-driven’ approach to business. This is in keeping with the stance Unilever has taken throughout its history, where it has strongly advocated for corporations and corporate leaders to actively support the broader needs of society. 

Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, opened the facility, accompanied by Leo Yip, Chairman, Singapore Economic Development Board, Png Cheong Boon, Chief Executive Officer, JTC Corporation, Manohar Khiatani, President and CEO, Ascendas and Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever.

 “Four Acres London has set the standard in leadership development since it was established over 60 years ago, underpinning our commitment to nurturing world class talent. The launch of Four Acres Singapore will continue this tradition, further lifting our capacity and underlining our commitment to Asia – as an increasingly important hub for talent,” says Polman.

Four Acres Singapore will deliver more than half of all of Unilever’s global leadership development programs, as part of a single, fully global curriculum. The academic program has been developed in partnership with some of the world’s leading academic and business institutions such as INSEAD, Harvard Business School and Singapore Management University. With the opening of the new campus, Unilever will have the capability to deliver training to around 2,800 people annually, across both locations.

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