Unilever is making strides to integrate the operations of Mae Terra—one of Brazil's leading brands for packaged organic foods—into its own structures, after acquiring the company in 2017. Mae Terra’s CEO, Alexandre Borges, must decide whether to implement his original plan as written into the purchase and sales agreement to create an advisory board to help ensure that the company maintain its mission, values and practices as part of a volume-driven multinational like Unilever—and, if so, how the board will operate and who its members will be. Some executives believe that such a board is not necessary given Unilever's own culture and commitments.
Keywords: brand management; sustainability; Brazil; Mergers and Acquisitions; Mission and Purpose; Social Enterprise; Corporate Governance; Governing and Advisory Boards; Environmental Sustainability; Organizational Culture; Food and Beverage Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Brazil; Latin America;
Citation:
Paine, Lynn S., Ruth Costas, and Mariana Cal. "Mãe Terra and Unilever (B)." Harvard Business School Supplement 320-069, December 2019. View Details