NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

British American Tobacco, Shell and McDonald’s are not the most likely line-up of corporate do-gooders but they can all claim superiority to Unilever in one area – each of these businesses swiftly divested from Russia in the months following the invasion of Ukraine.

A year and a half on, Unilever remains one of a few Western multinationals to continue operating in the country. Despite much criticism, the consumer goods giant, which owns brands including Ben & Jerry’s, Hellmann’s and PG Tips, still employs 3,000 people in Russia.

Photo courtesy of Andrea Hatfield.