Why Unilever acquired Grüns and Dr. Squatch

Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I’m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning. During the past decade, the British consumer goods giant Unilever has undergone a transformation. The conglomerate shed its food businesses, selling its margarine and spreads business to KKR in 2019, spinning off Magnum Ice Cream in 2025, and announcing plans to combine its remaining food portfolio—including the Hellmann’s and Knorr brands—with the spice maker McCormick in a transaction that reflects an enterprise value for Unilever of $44.8 billion. The deal is expected to close next year. The result will be an enterprise that is a pure play in the personal care, beauty, and wellness spaces. Unilever boasts a mix of legacy brands such as Vaseline and newer entrants such as Grüns, the gummy supplement company Unilever acquired earlier this year for a reported $1.2 billion. “Unilever U.S. will become a f…