Ex HUL Exec Director joins Godrej Consumer Products as MD & CEO
Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) on Tuesday announced changes to its leadership team, effective October 18, 2021. Sudhir Sitapati will join GCPL as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Nisaba Godrej, currently the Chairperson and Managing Director of the company, will continue to serve as Executive Chairperson.
Sitapati's appointment will enable GCPL to leverage his experience in building sustainable and profitable businesses to guide the growth strategy going forward, according to a statement. He has spent 22 years at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), where he led teams across categories and functions in India, Europe, South East Asia and Africa to create value for the business.
Sitapati was appointed to the HUL Management Committee as an Executive Director in 2016, making him one of its youngest ever members. Under his leadership, HUL built up its Foods and Refreshments business as one of the largest in India. This included the $5 billion merger and integration of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare with HUL. He is currently Co-Chair of the CII National Committee of Food Processing and is a past Co-Chair of the FMCG Committee.
Nisaba Godrej, Chairperson and Managing Director, GCPL, said, "I am delighted to be welcoming Sudhir to Godrej. His significant experience and passion for building sustainable and profitable brands and businesses align very strongly with our purpose at GCPL. Sudhir's values-based leadership style also makes him a great fit with the Godrej culture. I look forward to his partnership in unlocking the amazing potential of our company and leading its next phase of growth."
Sudhir Sitapati, MD and CEO (designate), GCPL, said, "It is an honour to have the opportunity to lead a company like GCPL and I am thankful to the Board for the confidence that they have reposed in me. I am very inspired by the legacy of the Godrej Group, and GCPL's purpose of bringing the goodness of health and beauty to consumers across emerging markets. I am excited about working closely with the talented GCPL team to build on the incredible work they are doing and create sustainable, long-term value for our company."
Sitapati has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a BSc in Math with Economics Honours from St Xavier's College, Mumbai. He is the author of ‘The CEO Factory: Management lessons from Hindustan Unilever’.