Recap 2025: 5 Most Crucial Women Business Leader's Appointments

By: WE Staff

As 2025 comes to a close, we look back at women’s achievements throughout the year. In this article, we take a look at five of the most crucial women leader appointments that took place in 2025. From Priya Nair being named the first female CEO of HUL to Economist Poonam Gupta being appointed RBI Deputy Governor, the needle for gender diversity moved in the right direction this year. 

The year 2025 marks a historic inflection point for women in corporate leadership in India, as representation at the top reaches its strongest level yet. According to recent studies, women now occupy over 20% of leadership roles in corporate India, the highest ever recorded in FY25. This milestone reflects a steady climb from sub-18% levels just a few years ago, underscoring a decisive shift in executive hiring and succession planning.

Women’s presence on boards has risen to 28.7% in FY25, signaling progress beyond regulatory compliance toward genuine inclusion. While women currently account for 16.6% of senior management roles overall, their influence is particularly pronounced in mid-market businesses, where they hold an impressive 36.5% of senior leadership positions, surpassing the global average. At the topmost tier, women now represent 17% of C-suite roles, though CEO representation remains selective at around 5.1%, highlighting both progress and the road ahead.

What distinguishes 2025 is not just the numbers, but the nature of appointments. Women are increasingly leading core business functions, such as strategy, finance, technology, operations, and revenue, during a period of economic complexity and rapid transformation. This shift signals growing confidence in women leaders to drive resilience, growth, and long-term value.

Women Entrepreneurs Review Magazine highlights the Top 5 Indian women leaders appointed in 2025 who held commendable leadership roles.

Priya Nair Appointed First Woman CEO & MD of Consumer Goods Conglomerate HUL

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) appointed Priya Nair as its first-ever woman Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director in 92 years, effective August 2025. She succeeds Rohit Jawa, who steps down after steering the company through a challenging consumption environment. A HUL veteran with nearly three decades at the company, Priya joined in 1995. She went on to lead iconic brands such as Dove, Comfort, and Rin, along with major categories including beauty, personal care, and home care. Her leadership journey spans senior regional roles and global positions at Unilever, most recently as Chief Marketing Officer and President of the fast-growing Beauty & Wellbeing business. Her elevation marks a major milestone for gender representation in Indian corporate leadership.