Currently serving as President – Beauty and Wellbeing at Unilever, Priya Nair will also join the the company’s Board, subject to regulatory approvals
With the company’s current Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rohit Jawa, preparing to step down at the end of July, Hindustan Unilever or HUL has named Priya Nair as its next CEO and Managing Director (MD), effective 1 August 2025. The appointment marks a significant leadership transition, with Nair returning to lead the company she joined three decades ago.
Currently serving as President – Beauty and Wellbeing at Unilever, Nair will also join the HUL Board, subject to regulatory approvals, while continuing as part of the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE).
A veteran at HUL, Nair joined the company in 1995 and has held a variety of roles across its Home Care, Personal Care and Beauty and Wellbeing businesses. She previously served as Executive Director, Home Care (2014–2020), and Executive Director, Beauty and Personal Care (2020–2022), before taking on global roles, including Global Chief Marketing Officer for Beauty and Wellbeing and later President of the same division in 2023.
Her elevation signals a deepening of HUL’s strategic focus on growth categories, innovation, and purpose-led brands. Nair also becomes one of the few women to lead a major Indian listed company, at a time when gender diversity in boardrooms is drawing increased attention.
Rohit Jawa, who took over as CEO and MD in 2023, led the company through a period of volume-led growth. He introduced the ‘ASPIRE’ strategy, aimed at transforming HUL’s portfolio and channel mix towards high-growth, high-margin spaces. Jawa’s broader Unilever career spans 37 years, including leadership roles as EVP for North Asia, Chair of Unilever China, and Chair of Unilever Philippines.
Thanking Jawa for his contributions, Nitin Paranjpe, Chairman, HUL, said, “On behalf of the Board, I thank Rohit for steering the company through a challenging market and laying the foundations for future success. His strategic clarity and decisive actions further strengthened HUL’s leadership.”
He added, “Priya has had an exemplary career across HUL and Unilever. With her deep knowledge of the Indian consumer and a global perspective, I am confident she will lead HUL into a new phase of growth and innovation.”
