A former technical trainee who arranged boxes at the supply chain division of Unilever Philippines Inc. two decades ago is now the chairman of the local unit of the world’s largest consumer goods company.
Benjie Yap, 43, became the first homegrown talent to hold the position in over 30 years. Yap, who grew up in Divisoria, Manila, joined Unilever after graduating from De La Salle University in Manila with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering (minor in Mechanical Engineering) in 1994. He completed his basic education at Chiang Kai Shek College.
Unilever is a Dutch-British company behind consumer brands Axe, Ben & Jerry’s, Block & White, Breeze, Clear, CloseUp, Cream Silk, Domex, Dove, Eskinol, Lux, Lifebuoy, Master, Pepsodent, Pond’s, Sunsilk, Tresemme, Vaseline, Surf, Caress, Best Foods, Cornetto, Knorr, Lipton, Lady’s Choice, Magnum, Selecta, among others.
As a technical management trainee in 1994, Yap had stints in manufacturing, engineering, research and development and packaging development. “I’ve been in the company for 23 years now,” he says.
Yap was first assigned at the packaging section of Unilever’s factory in Manila. “Because I’m an engineer, I worked in the supply chain as technical trainee in the factory. So I did the rounds of working third shifts. I was packaging, moving and arranging boxes,” he says.
From the supply chain division, he shifted career tracks and served as a product development manager in Port Sunlight UK in 1999. He became marketing director of home care in 2001. He later joined Unilever Philippines’ National Board of Directors as the food managing director at the age of 32, 11 years after joining the company.
In 2009, he was assigned to Thailand as vice president for home care products. He returned to Manila in 2013 to lead home care and foods and later as vice president of customer development, before being named chairman in March 2017.
The company was formed by the Lever brothers in the UK as a soap company, with Lifebuoy as its first product. It merged with a Dutch maker of margarine in 1929, to form Unilever, which has diversified into ice cream and refreshment, food, personal care, home care, water, sanitation, environment, agriculture and livelihood. In the Philippines, Unilever has the largest advertising expenditures amounting to billions annually, supporting the businesses of broadcast networks.
Yap received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the CEO Excel Award in 2007 and the Outstanding Achievement Award in Marketing Management from Agora in 2015, as well as being named one of the top alumni of De La Salle University in 2010.
“I am deeply honored to be named chairman of Unilever Philippines. Having been with Unilever throughout my professional career, I have witnessed how the company has grown and has uplifted the lives of many Filipinos,” says Yap.
“Being appointed as chairman at a time when the private sector is called to help address societal concerns, I am inspired by the work that we have begun and are continuing—creating real solutions in areas such as nutrition, livelihood, water, sanitation, and the environment. We take a long view of how we provide for the needs of Filipino families, offering products for their daily use and helping them in challenges they face,” Yap says.
“At Unilever Philippines, we place a premium on sustainability. This is not just reflected in the Sustainable Living programs that we are implementing to address major social concerns. We are also committed to sustainable agriculture and sustainable manufacturing practices. Moreover, we are looking at strategic investments in the Philippines to better serve Filipino families,” says Yap.
Yap has recently led the inauguration of Unilever Philippines’ head office in Taguig City. Located in the Bonifacio Corporate Center at Stopover, Unilever Philippines’ LEED-certified offices are also aligned with the company’s focus on sustainability. The new office marks Unilever’s continued investment in the Philippines, not just to further grow the market, but to nurture young Filipino talent as well.
Unilever’s new head office in Taguig City is just one among the big-ticket investments of the company, which also include the mega distribution center in Cabuyao, Laguna, its largest distribution center in the Philippines, and the world-class Unilever Cavite Foods Factory, which has Halal capability to address the needs of Muslims in the country.
The mega distribution center spans 13.7 hectares and is expected to facilitate distribution and transport of Unilever’s products manufactured in its Cavite and Paco, Manila sites.
Its location is also ideal for vessels going to Visayas and Mindanao via the Batangas ports. In addition to all these, the mega distribution center has future-ready capabilities to ensure efficient and sustainable operations. The mega distribution center’s design and technology will use materials intended to reduce environmental impact.
Constructing the mega distribution center allows Unilever Philippines to enhance delivery of goods throughout the country and create a ripple effect of benefits to communities.
Accessible to the mega distribution center is Unilever Cavite Foods Factory, which adheres to world-class manufacturing services and on which Unilever is investing a total of P1.7 billion. The factory is also expected to serve as the Halal Hub for South East Asia and Australia. To date, the Philippines has yet to realize the potential of the Halal market, which can be a driver for sustained socio-economic growth.
The LEED-certified Unilever Cavite Foods Factory is utilizing renewable energy resources for its power requirements.
“Unilever Philippines is committed to the Filipino people. Not only are we optimistic about prospects for growth, but we are also constantly on the lookout for emerging opportunities to better serve the market,” Yap says.
Yap at 43 is the youngest Filipino chairman of a multinational corporation. “It’s a proud moment for my parents and my family to get this opportunity,” says Yap, who together with wife Karen, has two children who are now in their early teens. Othel V. Campos
