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Unilever relocating ice cream division to Amsterdam
The move from fellow Dutch city Rotterdam will take place in Q1 of 2025, with the new office in Amsterdam capable of accommodating up to 450 members of staff.
Featuring an ‘experience centre’, the office has space for creative sessions and prospective partners to pitch ideas.
It also provides an area for learning experience sessions for company employees, as well as space training and demonstrations for customers.
Unilever splitting from ice cream unit
In May of this year, Unilever announced it was beginning the process of splitting from its ice cream unit – which includes brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Wall’s and Magnum – in order to sharpen the firm’s focus on its core portfolio of products and brands.
During the company’s Q3 financial results announcement on 24 October, CEO Hein Schumacher confirmed that this process was underway, although the exact mechanism of the separation has not yet been revealed.
“As part of the group’s overall transformation, we are implementing a comprehensive productivity programme and the separation of Ice Cream, both of which are progressing as planned,” he said.
During Q3, ice cream revenue increase by 16%, with Unilever focused on expanding operating profit and global market share during the remainder of this year.
The ice cream unit becoming a standalone business could impact up 7,500 jobs and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025.
While its ice cream brands turned over €7.9bn in 2023, Unilever said that the unit should perform better under new ownership.
Speaking at the time of the announcement, Ian Meakins, chair of Unilever, commented: “The separation of Ice Cream and the delivery of the productivity programme will help create a simpler, more focused, and higher performing Unilever. It will also create a world-leading ice cream business, with strong growth prospects and an exciting future as a standalone business.”
