<img src="/resources/images/article_assets/hbr/1206/R1206H_POLMAN.jpg"> 
 Fotografia: Jamie-James Medina

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Reprint: R1206H 
When Polman became CEO of the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever, in January 2009, it was his first time in the role of chief executive. That doesn&#8217;t appear to have inhibited him: Since then he has transformed Unilever into one of the world&#8217;s most innovative corporations. In addition to abolishing earnings guidance and quarterly reporting (on day one as CEO), he launched a plan to double corporate revenue by 2020 while simultaneously reducing the company&#8217;s environmental impact by half. These are truly &#8220;audacious objectives,&#8221; he acknowledges. &#8220;Nobody has ever made such a public commitment, and nobody has ever achieved anything like this.&#8221; 
Polman believes that his initiatives build on the company&#8217;s founding values: improving health and hygiene, and otherwise benefiting society. Though &#8220;a capitalist at heart,&#8221; he thinks the system needs fine-tuning&#8212;in part through socially responsible investment. The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan not only sets ambitious targets but establishes detailed measures of progress toward them. Doing away with quarterly reporting has allowed the business to be more focused on the long term, and changes in the compensation system support that. 
In this edited interview with HBR&#8217;s editor in chief, Polman talks about taking risks, attracting shareholders who support Unilever&#8217;s strategy (hedge fund investors needn&#8217;t apply), and why consumers are now in charge.

Captain Planet

Reimpressão: R1206H Quando Polman se tornou CEO da multinacional anglo-holandesa Unilever, em janeiro de 2009, foi sua primeira vez no cargo de diretor executivo. Isso não parece tê-lo inibido: desde então, ele transformou a Unilever em uma das corporações mais inovadoras do mundo. Além de abolir a orientação de lucros e os relatórios trimestrais (no primeiro dia como CEO), ele lançou um plano para dobrar a receita corporativa até 2020 e, ao mesmo tempo, reduzir o impacto ambiental da empresa pela metade. Esses são realmente “objetivos audaciosos”, ele reconhece. “Ninguém jamais assumiu um compromisso tão público e ninguém jamais conseguiu algo assim.” Polman acredita que suas iniciativas se baseiam nos valores fundamentais da empresa: melhorar a saúde e a higiene e beneficiar a sociedade. Embora seja “um capitalista de coração”, ele acha que o sistema precisa de ajustes — em parte por meio de investimentos socialmente responsáveis. O Plano de Sustentabilidade da Unilever não apenas define metas ambiciosas, mas estabelece medidas detalhadas de progresso em direção a elas. A eliminação dos relatórios trimestrais permitiu que a empresa se concentrasse mais no longo prazo, e as mudanças no sistema de remuneração apoiam isso. Nesta entrevista editada com o editor-chefe da HBR, Polman fala sobre assumir riscos, atrair acionistas que apoiem a estratégia da Unilever (investidores em fundos de hedge não precisam se inscrever) e por que os consumidores agora estão no comando.

Capit&atilde;o Planeta

Reprint: R1206H When Polman became CEO of the Anglo-Dutch multinational Unilever, in January 2009, it was his first time in the role of chief executive. That doesn’t appear to have inhibited him: Since then he has transformed Unilever into one of the world’s most innovative corporations. In addition to abolishing earnings guidance and quarterly reporting (on day one as CEO), he launched a plan to double corporate revenue by 2020 while simultaneously reducing the company’s environmental impact by half. These are truly “audacious objectives,” he acknowledges. “Nobody has ever made such a public commitment, and nobody has ever achieved anything like this.” Polman believes that his initiatives build on the company’s founding values: improving health and hygiene, and otherwise benefiting society. Though “a capitalist at heart,” he thinks the system needs fine-tuning—in part through socially responsible investment. The Unilever Sustainable Living Plan not only sets ambitious targets but establishes detailed measures of progress toward them. Doing away with quarterly reporting has allowed the business to be more focused on the long term, and changes in the compensation system support that. In this edited interview with HBR’s editor in chief, Polman talks about taking risks, attracting shareholders who support Unilever’s strategy (hedge fund investors needn’t apply), and why consumers are now in charge.

Capitão Planeta

Resumo.

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