Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever, has re-energised the lumbering consumer goods giant and brought ambition back into the minds of its senior executives
Name of Mentor: I've had many mentors throughout my career, but above all my wife [Kim] and my father have been constants.
How long have you known her?
I've known my wife for 33 years.
How did the two of you come in contact?
We attended the same course at university in Cincinnatti on 'collective bargaining' - something I'm still working on!
How has the mentor helped your leadership skills?
Both my wife and my father have helped me keep my feet on the ground, maintain the right level of humility and respect for others and to retain my integrity.
Mentor's advice that has stayed with you
My father's advice to, "Never forget where you came from" has stayed with me since I left the Netherlands for the US 35 years ago.
(This story appears in the 31 December, 2010 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)