AutoZone vs Unilever: Founders, CEOs and History
AutoZone was founded in 1979 by J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III and is led by Philip B. Daniele. Unilever was founded in 1929 by William Hesketh Lever, Samuel van den Bergh, Anton Jurgens and is led by Fernando Fernandez.
Company facts
Founders
AutoZone
J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III
AutoZone was founded in 1979 by Joseph R. 'Pitt' Hyde III, and its origins are intertwined with the wholesale grocery industry of the American South. Hyde was the grandson of J.R.
Unilever
William Hesketh Lever
William Hesketh Lever (later Lord Leverhulme) co-founded Lever Brothers with his brother James in 1885 and built it around Sunlight Soap, one of the first branded, individually wrapped soaps sold at mass scale.
Samuel van den Bergh
Samuel van den Bergh led Van den Bergh, a Dutch margarine maker that became one of Jurgens' main rivals. The two families combined their businesses into Margarine Unie in 1927, and Margarine Unie merged with Lever Brothers in 1929 to create Unilever.
Anton Jurgens
Anton Jurgens' family firm was among the first to manufacture margarine commercially in the Netherlands after the product was invented in France. Jurgens competed for decades with the Van den Bergh family before the two merged into Margarine Unie in 1927.
CEOs and their tenures
AutoZone
- J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III1979–1997
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Hyde was running Malone & Hyde, his family's Memphis wholesale grocery business, when he opened the first Auto Shack store in Forrest City, Arkansas on July 4, 1979 as its auto parts division.
Source - John Adams1997–2001
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Adams became chairman and chief executive in 1997 when founder Pitt Hyde retired, and ran the company through its most acquisitive year.
Source - Steve Odland2001–2005
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
Odland was named chairman, president and chief executive in January 2001 and held the roles until March 2005, when he resigned to become chairman and chief executive of Office Depot.
Source - William C. Rhodes III2005–2024
Executive Chairman; Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Rhodes, an accounting graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin with an MBA from the University of Memphis, worked as a manager at Ernst & Young before joining AutoZone in 1994 and rising to president and CEO in 2005, a role he held for nearly 19 years…
Source - Philip B. Daniele III2024–present
Chief Executive Officer
Philip B. Daniele III has served as president and chief executive officer since January 2, 2024.
Source
Unilever
- Alan Jope2019–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Jope simplified Unilever's legal structure and organisation, which made later portfolio separations easier.
Source - Hein Schumacher2023–2025
Chief Executive Officer
Schumacher reset Unilever around fewer, bigger brands and set up the Ice Cream demerger before stepping down in February 2025.
Source - Fernando Fernandez2025–present
Chief Executive Officer
As CFO, the highly experienced Latin American executive enforces absolute financial discipline, attempting to restore investor confidence after years of sluggish stock performance.
Source
Timeline: AutoZone and Unilever side by side
1884Unilever
Lever soap factory opens
William Hesketh Lever built the Port Sunlight soap business that became a key Unilever predecessor.
1929Unilever
Unilever created
Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie merged to form Unilever.
1929Unilever
Lever Brothers and Margarine Unie Merge
Lever Brothers and the Dutch Margarine Unie merged in 1929 to form Unilever.
1979AutoZone
Founding of Auto Shack
J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III opens the first Auto Shack store in Forrest City, Arkansas on July 4, 1979 as the auto parts division of Malone & Hyde, his family's Memphis wholesale grocery business. First-day sales total US$300.
1983AutoZone
100th store opens
Auto Shack opens its 100th store, in Weslaco, Texas, four years after the first. The chain reaches 190 locations in 13 states by 1984.
1984AutoZone
Management buyout with KKR
Malone & Hyde, including its Auto Shack division and its 194 stores in 13 states, is taken private in a management buyout involving Hyde and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
1984Unilever
Acquired Brooke Bond
Unilever acquired Brooke Bond in 1984 for ~$515 million (£390 million).
1986AutoZone
Spin-off, Duralast and Loan-A-Tool
Auto Shack is spun off from Malone & Hyde as its own company with Hyde and president Peter Formanek in charge. The Duralast brand launches with alternators and starters, and the Loan-A-Tool program begins. Radio Shack sues for trademark infringement.
1987AutoZone
Rebranding to AutoZone
After Radio Shack wins its trademark case on appeal, the company announces it will rename itself AutoZone, changing signage and packaging across 459 stores in 16 states.
1989Unilever
Acquired Calvin Klein Cosmetics
Unilever acquired Calvin Klein Cosmetics in 1989.
1991AutoZone
Initial public offering
Hyde and KKR take the company public in April 1991 on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker AZO. KKR holds a majority of the stock at first and begins selling down by 1993.
1993Unilever
Acquired Breyers
Unilever acquired Breyers in 1993.
1995AutoZone
1,000th store and Duralast batteries
AutoZone opens its 1,000th store, in Louisville, Kentucky, and launches the Duralast and Duralast Gold batteries. It ends the year with 1,143 stores in 26 states.
1996AutoZone
Acquisition of ALLDATA
AutoZone buys ALLDATA, an Elk Grove, California provider of automotive diagnostic and repair information, in a stock deal valued at about US$56 million, and launches its website the same year.
1998AutoZone
Chief Auto Parts acquisition
AutoZone completes its roughly US$280 million purchase of Chief Auto Parts on June 29, 1998, adding more than 550 stores, close to 400 of them in California, and takes the leading share of that market.
1998AutoZone
First store outside the United States
AutoZone opens its first international store in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in December 1998, after a year in which it also bought Auto Palace, TruckPro and Express stores from Pep Boys.
2000Unilever
Acquired Maille
Unilever acquired Maille. Unilever acquired Maille in 2000.
2001AutoZone
New chief executive and 3,000th store
Steve Odland is named chairman and chief executive in January 2001, replacing John Adams. AutoZone opens its 3,000th store in Cicero, Illinois in May and sells its TruckPro division in December.
2005AutoZone
Bill Rhodes becomes chief executive
William C. Rhodes III is named president and chief executive in March 2005 after Steve Odland leaves for Office Depot, with founder Pitt Hyde returning as interim non-executive chairman. AutoZone opens its first Puerto Rico store in Bayamon.
2012AutoZone
Brazil, Alaska and AutoAnything
AutoZone enters Brazil with a store in Sao Paulo, opens its 5,000th store in Wasilla, Alaska, its 49th state, and buys online accessories retailer AutoAnything in December.
2018AutoZone
Divestitures and founder leaves the board
AutoZone sells Interamerican Motor Corporation to Parts Authority and AutoAnything to Kingswood Capital in February 2018, refocusing on stores and hubs. Founder Pitt Hyde announces in October that he will step down from the board.
2019Unilever
Alan Jope becomes CEO
Alan Jope became CEO of Unilever in 2019. Jope simplified Unilever's legal structure and organisation, which made later portfolio separations easier.
2020Unilever
Legal structure unified
Unilever moved to a single parent company structure after decades with British and Dutch holding companies.
2020Unilever
Single Parent Company
Unilever unified its dual structure into a single parent company, Unilever PLC, in November 2020.
2024AutoZone
Leadership transition to Phil Daniele
Philip B. Daniele III becomes president and chief executive officer on January 2, 2024, succeeding William C. Rhodes III, who becomes executive chairman after nearly 19 years as chief executive.
2025Unilever
Fernando Fernandez becomes CEO
Fernando Fernandez was appointed CEO effective March 2025.
2025Unilever
Ice Cream demerger reflected
Unilever reported 2025 results on a continuing-operations basis after the Ice Cream business demerger.
2026AutoZone
First year above US$20 billion of sales
AutoZone reports net sales of US$20.34 billion for the fiscal year ended August 29, 2026, up 7.4 percent, with net income of US$2.57 billion, total company same store sales up 4.5 percent, a record 374 new stores and 8,031 stores at year end, including 172 meg…
Acquisitions
AutoZone
- Interamerican Motor Corporation2014Undisclosed
- AutoAnything2012Undisclosed
- Auto Palace1998$55M
- Chief Auto Parts1998$280M
- ALLDATA1996$56M
Unilever
- Dr. Squatch2025Undisclosed
- Wild2025Undisclosed
- Minimalist2025Undisclosed
- Paula's Choice2021Undisclosed
- Sir Kensington's2017Undisclosed
- Weis2017Undisclosed
Questions about AutoZone vs Unilever
Who is the CEO of AutoZone, Inc. and Unilever PLC?
AutoZone, Inc. is led by Philip B. Daniele and Unilever PLC is led by Fernando Fernandez. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was AutoZone, Inc. founded vs Unilever PLC?
Unilever PLC was founded in 1929 — 50 years before AutoZone, Inc., which was founded in 1979. Unilever PLC's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger AutoZone, Inc..
How many employees does AutoZone, Inc. have compared to Unilever PLC?
AutoZone, Inc. employs approximately 130,000 people, while Unilever PLC employs approximately 96,092. AutoZone, Inc. has the larger workforce at 130,000 employees, compared to Unilever PLC's 96,092. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are AutoZone, Inc. and Unilever PLC headquartered?
AutoZone, Inc. is headquartered in United States and Unilever PLC is headquartered in United Kingdom. Their different home markets mean they may face different regulatory frameworks, tax regimes, and currency exposure.
Who founded AutoZone, Inc. and Unilever PLC?
AutoZone, Inc. was founded by J.R. 'Pitt' Hyde III. Unilever PLC was founded by William Hesketh Lever, Samuel van den Bergh, Anton Jurgens.
Which company has a longer operating history — AutoZone, Inc. or Unilever PLC?
Unilever PLC has been operating for approximately 97 years, making it the more established of the two companies. AutoZone, Inc. has been in operation for around 47 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the AutoZone vs Unilever overview