Unilever has taken home the top gong in Business in the Community’s (BITC’s) thirteenth Awards for Excellence. The global food and consumer products giant picks up the title of Company of the Year 2010 for its work enhancing the social, environmental and economic impact of its brands at every stage of the product lifecycle.

Unilever takes over as Company of the Year from United Utilities who held the coveted title throughout 2009. Philip Green, chief executive of United Utilities, handed over the baton to Amanda Sourry, Chairman, Unilever UK & Ireland, in front of over 1,000 business leaders and HRH The Prince of Wales at a celebratory event at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Monday 5 July.

The 2010 Awards for Excellence are supported by United Utilities, outgoing Company of the Year 2009. Philip Green, Chief Executive, said, “Unilever is an outstanding example to others and a worthy winner of the title Company of the Year 2010. Unilever is a significant global market leader, with influence extending well beyond that. What is really impressive is how Unilever has realistically appraised the impact of its products across the whole life cycle and built sustainability into product design. Through this it can change consumer behaviour as well as find innovative ways to improve the impact of products for its customers and our planet. Unilever is showing us all that business success goes hand in hand with responsible leadership.”

Amanda Sourry, Chairman, Unilever UK & Ireland, said, «We are delighted to be named Business in the Community’s ‘Company of the Year’. Business has a great responsibility and opportunity to create and enable positive change, for both society and the environment, particularly in such turbulent economic times.”