How The "Happiness" Strategy Added €3 Billion to Unilever
Wed Feb 04 2026
Can "soft" skills really deliver hard numbers?
In this episode of Retail Disrupted, Natalie Berg sits down with Matt Close, a 30-year Unilever veteran who proved that building a "happiness culture" isn't just nice to have—it's a massive growth engine.
Matt served on Unilever's Executive Committee and led the €8B Global Ice Cream business for 8 years. During his tenure, he added €3B in growth by taking an end-to-end approach to transforming value creation. His secret weapon? Building what he calls a 'happiness company'.
This episode is brought to you by The Richmond Retail & eCommerce Directors' Forum, where Matt will be hosting a session this April on how to create a people-first culture.
Retailers: register your interest here: https://www.richmondevents.com/contact/request?Item=DelegateInvite&EventCode=RET26
IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE:
The literal business case for happiness: How it drives risk-taking and entrepreneurship. Why culture matters just as much in the factory as it does in the boardroom. Quick commerce and other forces reshaping the ice cream category Leadership lessons from 3 decades at one of Britain's biggest listed companies. Listen here or head over to watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4ZfjADu1DxY?si=IWEGChY62MAiRxBI
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Can "soft" skills really deliver hard numbers? In this episode of Retail Disrupted, Natalie Berg sits down with Matt Close, a 30-year Unilever veteran who proved that building a "happiness culture" isn't just nice to have—it's a massive growth engine. Matt served on Unilever's Executive Committee and led the €8B Global Ice Cream business for 8 years. During his tenure, he added €3B in growth by taking an end-to-end approach to transforming value creation. His secret weapon? Building what he calls a 'happiness company'. This episode is brought to you by The Richmond Retail & eCommerce Directors' Forum, where Matt will be hosting a session this April on how to create a people-first culture. Retailers: register your interest here: https://www.richmondevents.com/contact/request?Item=DelegateInvite&EventCode=RET26 IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE: The literal business case for happiness: How it drives risk-taking and entrepreneurship. Why culture matters just as much in the factory as it does in the boardroom. Quick commerce and other forces reshaping the ice cream category Leadership lessons from 3 decades at one of Britain's biggest listed companies. Listen here or head over to watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4ZfjADu1DxY?si=IWEGChY62MAiRxBI