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Unilever: A Truly Multi-local Multinational Corporation

Denis Scobbo, Manager IT Purchasing for Unilever, tells why Unilever has selected the National Cristina Foundation as the organization it donates its used equipment to when it is slated for disposal.

Denis Scobbo

Yvette: Tell us about Unilever

Denis: Unilever is a multi-national company which produces and markets primarily home care products and food products. The food brands include Lipton Teas, and soups, Wish Bone salad dressings, Good Humor ice cream, Skippy Peanut Butter, the list is a long one. And on the other side of the fence, Wisk detergent, Mentadent toothpaste, Vaseline lotion, Dove Cleansers, all kinds of good stuff. There's an array of products just too numerous to really go through.

Yvette: As Manager of IT Purchasing you are the person who needs to consider for your company the whole issue of what happens when you're looking at new product and then have to make decisions about where to redirect equipment that you are no longer using.

IT workforce trainees receive donated training tools.

Denis: Correct.

Yvette: Can you tell us why you chose National Cristina Foundation to help you dispose of your used computer equipment?

Denis: Choosing the National Cristina Foundation provided us with "one stop shopping" for disposal of our computer technology. I was looking for one place that could support me nationally. Rather than having to look at different organizations in different locations throughout North America. I could go to you and you would take care of it across North America.

We did some research on National Cristina Foundation. Your background, what you've done, how you've worked and so forth. We were pleased, as well, that you could verify every charity requesting a donation from us. It really helps that you are doing all the front work for us.

Yvette: How do you feel about this donation program?

Training people for new careers

Denis: You know I can only speak for myself. However, management supports what I do because I am able to show that it's the right thing to do. It's a sense of accomplishment on our part that we're taking what we no longer need and allowing it to continue to be used to support others.

Yvette: How has working with NCF provided additional cost effectiveness for Unilever?

Denis: We call it cost avoidance. Savings in dollars I don't have to spend on disposal fees. Plus we are able to give back to the community to the people who buy our products. And, it helps us in our overall goal of not having old, idle equipment lying around all over the place.

Yvette: We are pleased and very much appreciate that we can facilitate a process on your behalf while at the same time helping many organizations receive the benefit of the technology you are contributing.