Reckitt has appointed Anandi Shankar as Regional HR Director for South Asia, tasking her with leading the people agenda across one of the company’s fastest-growing markets.
In the role, Shankar will partner with regional business leaders to strengthen organisational capability and support expansion plans across South Asia, Reckitt said. The appointment comes as the consumer health and hygiene group sharpens its focus on scale, talent depth and execution across emerging markets.
Shankar joins Reckitt after a 21-year career at Unilever, where she held a series of senior HR leadership roles spanning functions, categories and geographies. Most recently, she served as Global Head of Learning, overseeing learning and leadership development for more than 150,000 employees across over 150 countries, according to company disclosures.
Prior to that, she was Head of HR for Beauty, Personal Care and Nutrition in South Asia, supporting a business with annual revenues of around €5 billion and working closely with leadership teams behind brands such as Dove, Lifebuoy, Ponds and Bru. She also led Talent, Organisation and Integration for South Asia, playing a central role in the integration of GSK Consumer Healthcare into Unilever’s operations in the region.
Earlier in her career, Shankar held leadership roles across change management, customer development, supply chain HR, organisational development, employer branding and HR business partnering. She began her professional journey as a Business Leadership Trainee in 2004, building experience across the breadth of the HR function.
At Reckitt, Shankar will oversee talent, culture and leadership priorities across markets where the company’s portfolio—including Dettol, Harpic, Durex and Vanish—serves a large and diverse consumer base. The company has said South Asia remains central to its long-term growth strategy, particularly as it seeks to deepen reach in health and hygiene categories.
The appointment underscores Reckitt’s emphasis on experienced internal capability to support business growth, as multinational consumer goods companies increasingly align people strategy with execution and market complexity in emerging economies.