Unilever PLC has announced the appointment of Belén Garijo López as an independent non-executive director.

Garijo also serves on the board of Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) and previously served as non-executive director for L’Oreal from 2014 to 2024. She is serving as chair of the executive board and chief executive officer of Merck Group until the end of April 2026.

Garijo brings extensive global commercial expertise across the FMCG and healthcare sectors. Before joining Merck, Garijo served as the senior vice president of global operations Europe at Sanofi-Aventis, leading the integration of Genzyme after its acquisition. She previously held global executive positions in R&D and commercial in the healthcare sector. After working in Madrid, Chicago, New Jersey, Barcelona, Paris, and Geneva, she is now based at Merck’s headquarters in Darmstadt in Germany.

Garijo’s other roles have included being EU-side chair of the EU-Japan Business Round Table; a member of the executive committee of the German Chemical Industry Association and a member of the European Round Table for Industry. She began her career as a practising physician at La Paz Hospital in Madrid.

Ian Meakins, chair of Unilever PLC, said: “I am very pleased that Belén has agreed to join the board. She has had an extremely successful executive career, most recently in the healthcare sector, and has extensive experience leading large and well-respected organisations. Belén will further strengthen the board with her expertise and we look forward to working together.”