Rohit Jawa to Take Over as the MD & CEO of Hindustan Unilever Limited from 27 June 2023

#HindustanUnileverLimited #RohitJawa #HUL #Appointments

“I am delighted to welcome Rohit back to India. He has a deep understanding of the business landscape particularly in Asia and has led the transformation of Unilever businesses in China and in the Philippines. I am certain that with his astute business acumen, and growth mindset Rohit will take HUL to the next level of performance.” - Nitin Paranjpe, Non-Executive Chairman, HUL

March 2023: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has recently announced that Rohit Jawa will take over as the new Managing Director & CEO of HUL from 27th June 2023, and will join the company as CEO designate and whole-time director from 1st April 2023. Rohit will also take over as President, Unilever South Asia. He will join the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) effective 1st April, 2023. After a transformational tenure of 10 years at the helm of HUL, Sanjiv Mehta will retire from the company.

Rohit (56), is currently the Chief of Transformation for Unilever in London where since January 2022, he has successfully orchestrated the once-in-a-decade, end-to-end transformation of Unilever. He started his career with HUL as a management trainee in 1988 and has a proven track record of sustained business results across - India, South East Asia, and North Asia. As EVP for North Asia & Chairman for Unilever China, he led a significant transformation of Unilever China into a competitive, profitable, and consistent business, now Unilever’s 3rd biggest globally. As the Chairman of Unilever Philippines, he led the business to become one of the top 10 markets for Unilever globally. Rohit’s ability to integrate the strength of traditional markets with digital technologies and future-fit business models, positions him well to take HUL into its next growth phase.

Sanjiv Mehta (62), took over as the MD & CEO of HUL in October 2013 leading the business through a period of sustained growth. During his decade at the helm, the business crossed the 50 thousand crore turnover mark and the market capitalization of the Company increased more than four times from US$17 billion to US$75 billion, reinforcing HUL as one of India’s most valuable businesses.

At the heart of Mr. Mehta’s success mantra has been the proposition of long-term value creation anchored by growth, high performance anatomy and distinctive capabilities. He introduced several transformative business programmes such as ‘Dial Up the Big Q’ and ‘Winning in Many Indias’ to make the business more consumer-centric, agile, and resilient. To make the business more future-fit, he kickstarted the ‘Reimagine HUL’ agenda by leveraging data, harnessing latest technologies, and designing business models to redefine how HUL engages with consumers, customers, and the way the business operates. He has led the business into future growth segments with several strategic mergers and acquisitions such as the amalgamation of GSK Consumer Healthcare into HUL, one of the biggest mergers in the history of FMCG in the country. Under his leadership, various programmes, such as the Hindustan Unilever Foundation, Project Shakti, Project Prabhat and Suvidha scaled new heights, reinforcing his commitment to responsible growth. Mr. Mehta actively championed the diversity agenda making HUL an even more inclusive organisation.

Thanking Mr. Mehta for his immense and sustainable contribution to the business, Nitin Paranjpe, Non-Executive Chairman, HUL said, “Sanjiv with his foresight has led HUL to become a high-performing and future-fit business. He has been an integral part of the Unilever Leadership Executive and has driven the South Asia growth agenda as the president of the market cluster. As the President of FICCI last year, Sanjiv made a significant contribution towards the industry in India. Through his passion, commitment, and endless energy, he leaves behind a business that is now poised to achieve even greater heights.”

Welcoming Mr. Jawa to HUL, Mr. Paranjpe added, “I am delighted to welcome Rohit back to India. He has a deep understanding of the business landscape particularly in Asia and has led the transformation of Unilever businesses in China and in the Philippines. I am certain that with his astute business acumen, and growth mindset Rohit will take HUL to the next level of performance.”

Pro MFG Media Newsletter

Get regular manufacturing insights that matter and enable business.