Consumer goods maker Unilever NV said Friday its chief financial officer will resign at the end of the year.

The company did not give a reason for the abrupt departure of James Lawrence, 57, who served as CFO of General Mills, Inc. for more than a decade before joining Unilever in 2007.

In a statement, Lawrence said he was leaving Unilever in "great shape for our shareholders" and that he is "looking forward to pursuing new opportunities."

Unilever said in a statement Lawrence would be available for an unspecified period of time after Jan. 1 to help train a successor.

A new CFO "will be announced shortly," Unilever said.