Schumacher defended his approach and record as CEO and said he regretted leaving Unilever earlier than anticipated.

The surprise exit of Hein Schumacher comes less than two years after he took on the top role at the consumer-goods giant.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Unilever said Tuesday that Hein Schumacher is stepping down after less than two years as chief executive of the consumer goods giant.Schumacher will be replaced by CFO Fernando Fernandez,