Paul Polman was furious when Kraft Heinz sprung a hostile bid for Unilever last year.

One of the first things the feisty Dutchman did was line up his cadre of closest advisers and demand that they pledge to fight for the future of one of the UK’s true national champions.

All a bit Churchillian. Perhaps Polman saw the approach as a personal affront. He complained about the role of “fast money” hedge funds in takeover situations and urged Theresa May to toughen up the UK’s takeover regime.

Still, few expected him to respond by upping sticks to Rotterdam. There will be those who say the Netherlands is welcome to Polman. Not everyone is a fan of his preachy, modern-day William Lever act.

Much of his spare time is spent vociferously campaigning around the world. Critics dismiss it all as “Davos man syndrome”, arguing that he should concentrate on running one of Britain’s biggest companies.