Rohit Jawa replaces Sanjiv Mehta as MD and CEO of HUL

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) announced Friday that Rohit Jawa will take over as the new Managing Director and CEO of HUL from June 27, 2023, and will join the company as CEO designate and whole-time director from April 1, 2023.

Jawa will also take over as President, Unilever South Asia. He will join the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) effective April 1, 2023.

After a transformational tenure of 10 years at the helm of HUL, Sanjiv Mehta will retire from the company.

Jawa (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.

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 $17 billion to $75 billion, reinforcing HUL as one of India’s most valuable businesses.

At the heart of 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, Mehta 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. Sanjiv actively championed the diversity agenda making HUL an even more inclusive organisation.

Thanking 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 Jawa to HUL, 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 Philippines. I am certain that with his astute business acumen, and growth mindset Rohit will take HUL to the next level of performance.”

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