Unilever surprised investors on Tuesday by ousting chief executive Hein Schumacher and replacing him with finance chief Fernando Fernandez, who will focus on speeding up the execution of the consumer group's turnaround strategy.

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.

Unilever surprised investors on Tuesday by ousting chief executive Hein Schumacher and replacing him with finance chief Fernando Fernandez, who will take over the tough task of reviving the consumer group's performance.

"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.