- For the first time in its 92-year history, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) will have a female leader
- The company's new managing director and CEO is Priya Nair
- In order to pursue new professional and personal endeavors, she will succeed Rohit Jawa, who will retire on July 31, 2025
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) will make history by having it’s first-ever woman Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director in 92 years of its existence. Priya Nair will take over on August 1, 2025, from Rohit Jawa, who is retiring on July 31 to pursue new personal and professional opportunities.
This appointment is a significant milestone for Indian corporate gender representation. Priya has spent close to three decades at HUL, joining the organization in 1995 as a Consumer Insights Manager. She moved on to be the Brand Manager for top household brands like Dove, Comfort, and Rin, and subsequently led significant categories like oral care, deodorants, and laundry.
Throughout her years of service, she has served in various leadership roles, such as Executive Director and CCVP for South Asia - Beauty & Personal Care and Homecare. Her exemplary performance resulted in her global appointment in 2022 as Unilever's Chief Marketing Officer for its Beauty & Wellbeing business, and again in 2023 as President of the Global Business Unit—one of the fastest-growing units of Unilever.
Priya has a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounts & Statistics) degree from Sydenham College, Mumbai, and an MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune. She has also attended an executive course in Business Administration and Management from Harvard Business School.
Welcoming her ascension, HUL Chairman Nitin Paranjpe said, "Priya has had a stellar career in both HUL and Unilever. With her proven leadership and deep understanding of the Indian market, I am confident she will drive HUL to greater heights."
Apart from the new assignment, Priya will continue to be part of Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) and will be appointed to HUL's Board, subject to regulatory approvals.
Exiting CEO Rohit Jawa, who took on the role of CEO in 2023, is credited with leading HUL through an environment of subdued city consumption and sluggish recoveries in discretionary spending. He is, against odds, known to have led the company towards solid, volume-led growth.
