By: Daniel Harris

Dan Harris has a degree in politics and international relations from Cambridge University. He is admitted to practice as a solicitor in England & Wales, and as an attorney in New York and the Cayman Islands. He is a partner at the London based law firm Chancery Advisors.

Does mayo need a purpose? It’s time for a corporate governance reset at Unilever

DANIEL HARRIS

The City should take heed of Terry Smith’s recent comments on Unilever’s obsession with publicly displaying its sustainability credentials at the expense of focusing on the fundamentals of the business. Last year, chief executive Alan Jope claimed the purpose of Hellmann’s mayonnaise was “fighting against food waste.” It was a symptom of a wider malaise [...]
The rock, paper, scissors of ESG: when social missions clash with corporate governance

In ESG terms, Ben & Jerry’s decision not to renew the contract of its Israeli licensee was described by the company as an “S” decision. The irony is that its “social mission” is likely to prompt a heavy-hitting response by investors in its parent, Unilever, on governance, or “G”, grounds. It has been widely reported that investors subject [...]

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