UK/NETHERLANDS: Unilever brings Bestfoods executives into its executive ranks

Seven Bestfoods executives have been promoted to the leading ranks of the Anglo-Dutch group Unilever 's food division, despite the company's June revelation to analysts that one of the key factors of its business success was its management formula.Unilever's acquisition of the US food giant Bestfoods has now been approved by shareholders and regulators, and the co-chairmen Niall Fitzgerald and Antony Burgmans revealed that the group is moving rapidly to establish its team.From 1 January 2001, the creator of Bestfoods, Dick Shoemate, will become advisory director of Unilever. Previously vice-president for strategy and core businesses at the US group, Anthony Simon will become president of marketing, and the new president of Unilever Foods for North America is another Bestfoods vice president, Neil Beckerman. The vice-president of human resources at Bestfoods, Jim Liberty is now senior vice-president for human resources.Diego Bevilacqua, now responsible for the combined food service business, ran Bestfoods' Asian operations and the company's Latin America operations were run by Oscar Imbellone, who is now executive vice-president at Unilever. Finally, the UK general manager for Bestfoods, Richard Oppenheim, has been appointed vice-president of foods in Europe.