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,

Unilever stunned investors on Tuesday by moving to replace chief executive Hein Schumacher with finance chief Fernando Fernandez, who will take on the tough task of reviving the consumer group's performance.

In a surprise announcement, Unilever said its CEO was leaving and Fernando Fernandez, currently Unilever's chief financial officer and executive director, will replace him on March 1.