Hindustan Unilever appoints Priya Nair as first woman MD & CEO

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) announced that Priya Nair, currently President, Beauty & Wellbeing, Unilever, will be appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD), HUL, effective August 1, 2025. She will also join the HUL Board, subject to necessary approvals, and continue to be a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE), the company stated in a press release.

Nair, 53, will become the first woman chief at the consumer major. She will succeed Rohit Jawa, who will step down as CEO and MD on July 31, 2025, to pursue the next chapter in his personal and professional journey.

Nair joined HUL in 1995 and held several sales and marketing roles across Home Care, Beauty & Wellbeing, and Personal Care businesses. Her significant contributions led to her appointment as the Executive Director, Home Care, HUL, from 2014 to 2020, and subsequently as the Executive Director, Beauty & Personal Care, HUL, from 2020 to 2022. Subsequently, she went on to become the Global Chief Marketing Officer, Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever. Since 2023, Nair has had a successful tenure as President of Beauty & Wellbeing, one of Unilever’s fastest-growing businesses.

Thanking Rohit for his invaluable leadership, Nitin Paranjpe, Chairman of HUL, in a statement said, “On behalf of the Board of HUL, I would like to thank Rohit for leading the business through tough market conditions and strengthening its foundations for success. The company took decisive actions to sharpen the portfolio and further stepped up its market leadership over the last two years. I wish him the very best for the next chapter in his life.”

Welcoming Priya back to India and to HUL, Nitin added, “Priya has had an outstanding career in HUL and Unilever. I am certain that with her deep understanding of the Indian market and excellent track record, Priya will take HUL to the next level of performance.”

Jawa took over as the CEO and MD of HUL in 2023. During his tenure of over two years, the company delivered volume-led competitive growth. He introduced the ‘ASPIRE’ strategy that is driving the business to transform its portfolio and channels towards high-growth demand spaces. Jawa has held many notable roles across his successful 37-year career, including Executive Vice President North Asia and Chair Unilever China, and Chair of Unilever Philippines, two of the most important Unilever operations, in which he achieved notable success.