Unilever Canada is merging its Chesebrough-Pond’s and Lever Bros. divisions effective April 8.

Arthur Gonis, president of Chesebrough-Pond’s, has been named president of the new company called Lever Pond’s.

Lever President Peter Elwood will take over as president of Unilever’s food and beverage company, Thomas J. Lipton, on July 1.

Elwood replaces Jim Benson, who retires in June after 32 years with Lipton.

The merger brings a number of major brands under one roof, including Sunlight, Dove, Snuggle, Vim and Lever 2000 from Lever, and, from Pond’s, Vaseline, Pond’s, Q-tips and Pears.

The Lever Pond’s marketing department will divide responsibility for the brands into two groups: personal care brands and fabric and home care products.

Lever agencies are Ammirati & Puris/Lintas, Ogilvy & Mather, and J. Walter Thompson.

MacLaren McCann, o&m and jwt share the Chesebrough-Pond’s business.