Meet the top Unilever grads working with the world’s most-loved brands

Two billion people use their products every day

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You’ve grown up with the likes of Marmite, Dove, Pot Noodle and Lynx, you’ve seen their TV adverts and used, eaten or drank their products.

However, very few people know these household brands are all owned by Unilever, one of the largest consumer goods companies in the world – they employ over 168,000 people across more than 50 countries.

With free, on-site Ben & Jerry’s and all-inclusive networking events across Europe, it’s no surprise Unilever is ranked 11th in The Times Top 100 Graduate Employer rankings.

Unilever run a three year graduate programme – where the grads work across a range of schemes, from Marketing to Supply Chain Management.

We spoke to four graduates on the Unilever Future Leaders Programme (UFLP) about graduate life, what it takes to get onto the programme and what it’s like to work for a global company.

Meet the graduates:

  • Sami Dabbagh, Financial Management, Hamburg
  • Rosie Brummel-Smith, Research and Development, Liverpool
  • Ollie Smith, Human Resources, Manchester
  • Rosie Cook, Human Resources, Rotterdam

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Sami Dabbagh, Financial Management, Imperial graduate

Sami’s currently working in Hamburg as part of Unilever’s Financial Management programme after graduating from Imperial. 

Sami at Oktoberfest with the other grads on his scheme

When Sami moved to Unilever after starting his career at a young start-up, his old colleagues told him how he’d be sick of the corporate world in a couple of months, but Sami fought back.

He said: “Unilever is like a start-up but less chaotic. I was able to enter the company with a lot of responsibility, which was really fortunate.

“It’s testament to the company, that they’ve sent me to Germany after only a few months in the business in another high responsibility role.”

Sami’s degree in engineering meant a finance role at Unilever suited him the most. He said: “The job isn’t all about reporting, numbers and spreadsheets, it’s about applying it to a wider context.”

As a grad on the Financial Management scheme, Sami has to complete his financial qualifications at the same time as his day job.

“You feel like you’re gaining so much experience rather than doing theory like being back at university. Unilever are very generous with the study breaks and they equip you with all the tools you need to do well in the exams.”

Unilever’s Financial Management grads with Chief Financial Officer, Graeme Pitkethly (middle)

Despite living away from home, Sami still loves the social side of graduate life. At the start of October, Sami and a group of his friends at Unilever travelled to Munich together for Oktoberfest.

Sami said: “We all get on so well. We balance the work side with the social side – we do a lot of things together like going out for drinks in Hamburg.”

Earlier this year, Sami and his cohort of grads were invited to Rotterdam for the Unilever Future Leaders Programme Connect, an event in which first year graduates are given the oppurtunity to meet the company’s senior staff.

Sami said: “All the graduates met in Rotterdam and we had a week of events, seminars and networking. You were mixing with people who are very high up and senior but it was a very relaxed environment.

“We got the chance to meet all of the graduates from around Europe. It helped me a lot because I met some German graduates, so when I moved to Hamburg I already knew four or five people.”

During the application process, all of the candidates are invited for dinner the night before the assessment centre and Sami thinks this is where the social side of the programme really begins.

He said: “It’s an environment where you’ll thrive when you can show you’re relaxed and comfortable. The way I would approach it is to do all of the preparation beforehand so you can take it easy at dinner.”


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Ollie Smith, Human Resources, Birmingham graduate

Classical musician Ollie is on his second rotation in Human Resources (HR) at the PG Tips factory in Manchester after finishing his degree at Birmingham.

Ollie (right) at London Pride with Gina (left), General Manager of Unilever UKI business and Elliot Rossi (centre) PA to Unilever’s Global Ice Cream Marketing Directors

Working for a big corporation isn’t the obvious career option for a classical musician, but Ollie immediately felt part of the team when he joined.

He said: “People think an arts degree might not naturally lead into the type of career I have, but in fact, it can make you stand out from other people.”

Ollie first started out at a premium haircare brand in Unilever’s Battersea offices before moving to the PG Tips factory in Manchester.

Ollie’s role in HR can be extremely tough, every day, the Human Resources grad witnesses the impacts of big decisions on ordinary people, with the added pressure of there being two trade unions on-site.

He said: “I was used to a business environment in London, so it was exciting to move to the factory as the average age of the other staff is probably over 50. It’s a very different role with very different people.

“The people you meet are a lot less political. They’re very humble and direct.”

Ollie and the team at Pride London

Unilever invest a lot in their people and Ollie has seen this firsthand. Over summer, he organised Unilever’s London Pride march and put LGBT at the top of the company agenda. He said: “It was a really great day and we had the best attendance so far.

“It was a lot of work though, there are so many things you have to consider like health and safety, terrorist threats, brand sponsorship, logistics and branding.”

The company doesn’t stop there, their environmental commitments are also applauded globally. Graduates quickly learn about Unilever’s Sustainable Living Plan as it aims to reduce the environmental impact of the company whilst maintaining consistent growth across its brands.


Unilever are making sustainable living commonplace

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Rosie Brummel-Smith, Research and Development, Durham graduate

After graduating from Durham, Rosie is now living in Liverpool as part of the Research and Development scheme. 

September’s cohort of graduates creating new ice creams at a Research and Development factory

Before joining Unilever, Rosie completed a placement year at Mondelez and it was there she first found her passion for developing consumer goods. But she knew Unilever was the right place to take her skills a step further.

Rosie said: “Unilever is one of the biggest consumer goods companies with a really strong sustainability impact and message. The brand is so recognisable, which appealed to me. People really value the work we do.”

“Day-to-day, my role is so varied. I’m project lead at the moment managing the R&D side of a new product.

“One day I could be in the lab with our shampoo and conditioner team, the other I will be conducting consumer trials or meeting new agencies.”

The grads in a marketing workshop

As a Chemistry grad, Rosie’s real interests lie in Research and Development, but she has completed one of her placements in Marketing with Dove Deodorant.

She said: “R&D at Unilever is so diverse, because the product portfolio is so big, you can go from ice cream to haircare, which is what I did.

“I’ve travelled a fair amount with work too. When I was on ice cream, I got to do a lot of trials and went to London and Paris.”

The chance to work on projects internationally is open to most graduates and Rosie added: “I have colleagues who do placements abroad. This guy in IT just got back from Paris, there’s a girl in Barcelona. One of my close friends on the programme has just been sent to Canada as part of her role.”

Working with the world’s biggest brands has huge perks too, Rosie said: “When you speak to friends about work, they get so excited because all of the brands you’re working on are household names.

“When I was working on Magnum, people loved it. With Dove, everyone loves it, which is rare for a brand in the beauty industry.

“Every place you go, you’ll find there’s an amazing working culture and it’s very relaxed, it’s a lovely place to work.”


Work internationally on a variety of rotations

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Rosie Cook, Human Resources, LSE graduate

High-flier, Rosie, now lives in Rotterdam as part of the Human Resources (HR) programme at Unilever.

Rosie speaking at a Unilever Food Solutions conference

It’s no surprise that Rosie ended up working for one of the most admired companies in the world as she graduated at the top of her class at LSE.

Rosie grew up wanting to be a doctor, but she didn’t like chemistry or the thought of blood. Then she thought of business, but she really wanted to find her niche combined with her love of psychology.

With Rosie’s skills and qualifications it would have been easy for her to have gone into banking, consultancy or to go and work for a start-up.

She said: “Working for a big company, like Unilever, opens so many doors and it shows on your CV that you’ve been exposed to different ways of working. People always told me it’s easier to work for a massive company and then go to a smaller one, than vice versa.

Rosie has seen rapid career progression at Unilever, she said: “I have a management role and look after people in over 20 countries, it’s something I never thought I’d be doing before 24.

“No matter how stressful it gets, it’s incredible. If you put your passion into stuff, it can work out.”

Unilever receives over 250,000 applications every year and this year is no different.

In a move to attract the best and brightest talent amongst this huge volume of applicants, Unilever has updated their recruitment process by making the application process completely digital.

The British-Dutch company is using online gaming and 20-minute video interviews to select the top applicants in the country.

Successful applicants embark on a three year programme, with the majority of roles being based in the UK and Ireland, although, some schemes may provide international opportunities.


Unilever’s Future Industrial Placement Programme develops tomorrow’s leaders, today

Apply here for Unilever’s Industrial Placement Programme


Key facts about Unilever’s Industrial Placement Programme

  • Starts: End of June
  • Duration: 12 months
  • Eligibility: Be in your penultimate year of qualification
  • Degree required: All disciplines accepted
  • Salary: £20,000
  • Benefits: 25 days annual leave, performance-based bonus, pension, health insurance, relocation assistance, share scheme, flexible working