Weed, who has led marketing at the FMCG giant since 2010, will retire from the company in April 2019. He joined Unilever in 1983.

The announcement follows the news that Paul Polman, the company’s chief executive, will retire next year, with Alan Jope, the head of the company’s beauty division, replacing him as CEO.

No replacement has been announced for Weed.

Weed has been particularly focused on sustainability during his tenure, launching Unilever’s sustainable living plan, the culmination of which was the Project Sunlight initiative.

In a statement on his LinkedIn page, Weed wrote: “I've hugely enjoyed working with the world’s best minds at Unilever and beyond. As CMCO I’ve led marketing, sustainability and comms; all the levers to create a business model with purposeful brands and sustainability at its core.”

He added: “I've been able to be part of the digital revolution, helping to address some of the unintended consequences… What an incredible journey it’s been and will continue to be.”