How Much Is Susan Kilsby Paid?
Susan Kilsby is Vice Chair of Unilever, the company behind Hellmann's and Knorr, which dropped its global promise to stop buying eggs from caged hens. She also sits at the top of Diageo's board, a company that recently said it was "sincerely sorry" after caustic soda from one of its distilleries got into a Scottish burn, killing what are believed to be thousands of fish. Despite Unilever's broken promise and Diageo's careless behavior, Kilsby benefits. The question is: how much?
The Kilsby Pay Challenge
Every answer comes from Diageo's and Unilever's own audited annual reports.
Susan Kilsby's Board Pay: The Receipt Audited single-figure tables, latest full years
Unilever PLC · 2025
€300,000
| Fees | €225,000 |
| Taxable benefits* | €75,000 |
| 2024 total | €169,000 |
| 2023 total | €140,000 |
2025 fee schedule: £105,000 basic fee + £40,000 Vice Chair/Senior Independent Director + £40,000 Remuneration Committee Chair. Unilever converts at £1 = €1.1699 (2025 average), so €300,000 ≈ £256,400. *Board-meeting travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses treated as taxable, plus the tax paid on them.
Diageo plc · FY2026
£212,000
| Fees | £188,000 |
| Taxable benefits* | £25,000 |
| FY2025 / FY2024 / FY2023 | £204k / £190k / £179k |
Fee schedule: £113,000 base + £38,000 Senior Independent Director + £38,000 Remuneration Committee Chair. Total doesn't sum exactly due to Diageo's rounding. *Product allowance and taxable travel/accommodation expenses, including tax gross-ups.
Combined total
≈ £468,400
Fees only
≈ £380,300
The combined figure adds Unilever calendar-year 2025 to Diageo's year to 30 June 2026, so the periods overlap but are not identical. It excludes her other roles (e.g. Chair of Fortune Brands Innovations). Sources: Unilever Annual Report and Accounts 2025, Directors' Remuneration Report, pp.102–103 (audited); Diageo Annual Report 2026, Directors' Remuneration Report, p.127 (audited); Diageo Annual Report 2024 for FY2023–FY2024. Last verified 23 October 2026.