Unilever has ousted CEO Hein Schumacher after less than two years at the helm, as the consumer goods giant seeks to speed up its turnaround plans.

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

"The step-up from CFO to CEO by Fernandez will be liked by many investors," Jefferies analyst David Hayes said of the Unilever CEO transition.