Sir Michael Richardson Angus (5 May 1930 - 13 March 2010) was a British business man, best known as chair of Unilever.

Angus was born in West Ashford, Kent and raised in the Cotswolds near to Cirencester, and educated at Marling School, Stroud, Gloucestershire. Angus graduated in mathematics from Bristol University.^[1]

Married to Isabel, the couple had three children: Barbara, Simon and Nicholas. They lived on their organic farm in North Cerney, from which they marketed cheese made from their herd of goats. Angus was an acknowledged wine buff. He died aged 79 in his home on 13 March 2010. Lady Angus died in 2016.^[2]

Michael Angus graduated from Bristol University with a degree in Mathematics and served in the Royal Air Force from 1951 to 1954^[3]. Joining Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever as a management trainee with D&W Gibbs Ltd right after that, he spent most of his career in the company's toiletries businesses (soaps and toothpaste) in France and Britain.^[1] He was appointed Product Manager in 1957 and the following year he was appointed Brand Manager for Sunsilk shampoos. In 1962 he moved to Paris, having been appointed Marketing Director of Thibaud Gibbs.

In 1965 Michael Angus returned to the UK as Managing Director of Research Bureau Ltd. He was subsequently appointed Sales Director of Lever Brothers Ltd in 1967.

In May 1970 he was appointed to the Board of Unilever Ltd and Unilever NV. In the same year he became Toilet Preparations Co-ordinator. In May 1976 he was appointed Chemicals Co-ordinator, and also assumed responsibility for Organisation Division. In 1979 he became Unilever Regional Director for North America. The following year he was appointed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Unilever United States Inc. based in New York. In this position, he was credited with playing a major role in the recovery of the business after it had suffered heavy losses.

In 1984 Angus became a member of the Special Committee and Vice-Chairman of Unilever PLC.

In May 1986 he was elected Chairman of Unilever PLC, on the retirement of Sir Kenneth Durham, and Vice-Chairman of Unilever NV. On assuming this role, he relinquished all other roles apart from Director. Whilst Chairman, the company acquired Chesebrough-Pond’s (1986), as well as the Faberge, Elizabeth Arden and Calvin Klein brands (1989).

In 1990 Angus was awarded the honour of Knight Bachelor in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List. In 1992 he was appointed Commander in the Order of Orange-Nassau by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, for his development of Anglo-Dutch relations in commerce and industry.

Sir Michael Angus retired as Chairman of Unilever PLC in 1992 to be succeeded by Michael Perry. The same year a portrait of Angus was completed and hung in Unilever House: it was produced by artist Paul Brason, the same artist who painted Miss Pears in 1985 and the Third Viscount Leverhulme.

Sir Michael Angus died at the age of 79 in March 2010, survived by his wife Lady Isabel and three children.

• Whitbread and Co: non-executive director June 1986; deputy chairman of Whitbread plc January 1992; chairman August 1992; retired in 2000.
• Thorn EMI plc: non-executive director - 1988; retired in 1993.
• National Westminster Bank: non-executive director - 1991-2000; deputy chairman - 1991–94.
• British Airways plc: non-executive director - 1988; non-executive Deputy Chairman - 1989-2000; life president.
• CBI [Confederation of British Industry]: deputy president - 1991-92; president - 1992-94; deputy president - 1994-95.
• President of the Royal Agricultural College in Cirenchester and Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Gloucestershire from 1997.
• The Boots Company plc: deputy chairman - 1998.  
• RAC Holdings Ltd: chairman - 1999.
• Honorary Fellow of the University of Bristol - 1993; Honorary DSc University of Bristol - 1990; Honorary DSc University of Buckingham - 1994; Honorary LLD University of Nottingham - 1996.

- GB1752.LIB/Annual Reports and Accounts/858. 'Unilever in 1989: An introduction by Sir Michael Angus' - Item

- GB1752.LIB/Annual Reports and Accounts/883. 'Unilever in 1990: An introduction by Sir Michael Angus' - Item

- GB1752.LIB/Annual Reports and Accounts/909. 'Unilever in 1991: An introduction by Sir Michael Angus' - Item

- GB1752.OH/17 (2004). 'Oral History Interview with Tony Winney Part 1' - Item

- GB1752.OH/25 (2004). 'Oral History Interview with Tony Winney Part 2' - Item

- GB1752.OH/61 (2010). 'Oral History Interview with Septima Miller' - Item

- GB1752.UNI/BD/2/1/8. 'Michael Angus Speeches and Writings' - Sub series

- GB1752.UNI/BD/2/3/18. 'Michael R. Angus and Niall Fitzgerald Collaborative Speeches and Writings' - Sub series

- GB1752.UNI/BD/SC/3/804 (1973-1988). 'File Special Committee papers: 'Private Notes [Michael Angus?]'' - Item

- GB1752.UNI/GF/CR/5/4/350 (1960-1992). 'Portraits, Angus, M.R.' - Item

- GB1752.UNI/GF/CR/5/7/99 (1988). 'Unilever Companies, Investors Relationship Presentation' - Item

- GB1752.UNI/GF/CR/GC/2/1/42 (1989). 'Unilever Press Releases 1989' - Item

- GB1752.UNI/GF/CR/GC/2/1/43 (1990). 'Unilever Press Releases 1990' - Item

- GB1752.UNI/GF/CR/GC/2/1/45 (1992). 'Unilever Press Releases 1992' - Item

- GB1752.UNI/GF/CS/1/2/1/95 (1990). 'File "Corporate Secretaries Department Correspondence AGMs - Plc 1990"' - Item

- GB1752.UNI/PLC/CH. 'Chairman's Office - Unilever PLC' - Sub collection

Michael R. Angus

Category:1930 births Category:2010 deaths Category:Unilever people Category:Unilever companies Category:Alumni of the University of Bristol Category:Businesspeople Category:Farmers Category:Knights Bachelor Category:Royal Agricultural University Category:Order of Orange-Nassau