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Bauer Alumna Recognized by Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce
Hanneke Faber (’90, MBA ’92) Receives Woman of the Year Award
Published on July 21, 2021
Hanneke Faber (’90, MBA ’92), a Unilever executive and C. T. Bauer College of Business alumni, was presented with the Netherlands British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) Woman of the Year Award recently.
The prestigious award recognizes and celebrates women in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands who distinguish themselves in their organization, their profession and/or community and who help motivate and inspire other women in business.
“The award from the NBCC meant a lot to us, as Unilever has deep roots in both countries,” Faber said.
“Unilever operates in more than150 countries around the world, but the United Kingdom and The Netherlands are still 'home'. Therefore, receiving this award was very special.”
As president of Foods & Refreshment, Faber is responsible for Unilever’s Ice Cream, Tea and Foods categories globally, including Unilever Food Solutions, overseeing a $23 billion business operating in 190 countries that includes brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Breyer’s, and Lipton.
She previously served as a Vice President at Procter & Gamble, where she became a global leader of three of P&G’s top brands with a presence in more than 180 countries.
“There were not a lot of female leaders in the Consumer Goods business 100 years ago,” Faber said.
“That has fortunately changed. Over the years, I've had some wonderful female role models, bosses, colleagues and sponsors. I am thankful to all of them!
“One worth mentioning is Virginia 'Gina' Drosos, CEO of Signet Jewelers. She was my boss at Procter & Gamble, and has remained a dear friend. She sponsored women for the right roles, worked really hard, yet role modeled work-life balance, and showed how you can be decisive and caring at the same time.”
Faber graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and an MBA from Bauer College.
Since 2016 she has served as a member of Bayer AG’s Supervisory Board. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of Leading Executives Advancing Diversity (LEAD). Faber speaks Dutch, English, French, German and Greek and has lived and worked in the US, Greece, Switzerland and the Netherlands. She is married and has three children.
