Former Chairman, Unilever N.V. and PLC, Netherlands

Born in Rotterdam in 1947, Antony Burgmans studied at Nijenrode in the Netherlands before going on to study political and social sciences at the University of Stockholm in Sweden. He then completed an MA at the University of Lancaster, UK.

He joined Unilever in 1972 as a marketing assistant and later went on to hold marketing and sales positions in the company’s detergents businesses in Indonesia and the Netherlands, before being appointed chairman of PT Unilever Indonesia.

He was nominated to the Boards of Unilever in 1991, responsible for Personal Products. From 1994 to 1996 he led the South European Foods Business and was appointed Business Group President Ice Cream & Frozen Foods and Chairman of the Europe Committee in 1996. Four years later he was appointed vice chairman of Unilever NV and became chairman and CEO of Unilever NV in May 1999. In May 2005, he became chairman of Unilever NV and PLC. He retired in June 2007.

Antony is a Non-Executive Director of BP plc since February 2004; a member of the Supervisory Board of Akzo Nobel since April 2006, a member of the Supervisory Board of AEGON since April 2007, and a member of the Supervisory Board of SHV Holdings N.V. since May 2007.

He is also Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Mauritshuis Museum in The Hague and the Dutch National Opera in Amsterdam. Moreover, he is a member of the Supervisory Board of WWF and WRI in Washington.

His affinity with wildlife led to his participation in the joint initiative between Unilever and the World Wildlife Fund and the setting up of the Marine Stewardship Council. He also chaired a CEO Panel at the World Water Forum in The Hague in 2000 and in Kyoto in 2003.

Antony enjoys golfing and skiing, as well as going for walks with his two dogs. Soccer is another love and he is a keen supporter of Feyenoord.