Unilever ANZ Seeks Third CMO in Six Months Amid Leadership Churn

Unilever Australia and New Zealand is searching for its third senior marketing leader in six months, after two consecutive departures left the company's top marketing role vacant heading into mid-2026.

Two Departures, One Role, Six Months

Former ANZ chief marketing officer John McKeon left in January 2026. Unilever promoted Anna Tracey, a 13-year company veteran, to the CMO role in March. The company confirmed at the time that Tracey would depart in June.

Tracey had previously led marketing for Unilever's Rexona brand. Writing on LinkedIn, she described her next move as a shift into counseling and coaching. "This is a shift I've been working towards alongside my marketing career, and one taken in close alignment with the business," she said.

She added that the CMO role had been "a privilege, and a meaningful moment to help set marketing up for its next chapter," and committed to supporting a transition before her departure.

McKeon, meanwhile, relocated to Malaysia two months after leaving the ANZ post, taking on a country manager role within Unilever.

Unilever has now posted a job advertisement for a "head of marketing" for ANZ, a title change from the previous CMO designation. The company told Mumbrella the role carries equivalent seniority and will continue to report directly to ANZ CEO Nick Bangs. The advertisement states: "Make no mistake, we expect a lot from our people, as they do of us."

Global Restructuring Adds Context to ANZ Shifts

The ANZ leadership changes coincide with a significant restructuring of Unilever's global marketing operation. Effective January 1, 2026, the company elevated Leandro Barreto to enterprise-wide CMO. Barreto, previously CMO of Unilever's Beauty and Wellbeing business group, absorbed the broader role following the departure of Esi Eggleston Bracey, who had served in senior marketing leadership for eight years.

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Unilever did not replace the Chief Growth and Marketing Officer title as a standalone position. Instead, it folded the responsibilities into Barreto's existing role. The company framed the change as a move to bring global marketing capabilities closer to its business groups.

The ANZ title shift from CMO to head of marketing reflects a similar pattern of repositioning, even if Unilever maintains the seniority level is unchanged.

Broader C-Suite Pressures Across the Region

The ANZ situation sits within a wider pattern of leadership instability across the Asia Pacific region. APAC CEO turnover reached 7% in the first half of 2025, above the global average of 6%. Australia recorded 11 of 43 total APAC CEO departures in the same period.

Global average CEO tenure fell to 6.8 years in H1 2025, down from 7.7 years in H1 2024. Marketing leaders face additional pressure. CMO confidence dropped to 31.2% in 2025, down from 37% in late 2024. Nearly half of senior marketing leaders believe incoming regulation will reduce their effectiveness.

Asia Pacific accounts for more than 40% of global FMCG sales, with a projected annual growth rate of 6.0% led by India and China. That commercial scale makes stable marketing leadership in the region commercially significant for major consumer goods companies.

Search Underway as Transition Continues

Tracey has said her focus through June is on building strong foundations and supporting the search for her successor. Unilever has not announced a timeline for filling the head of marketing role.

The ANZ marketing function continues to report to CEO Nick Bangs during the transition period.