Meet woman who started as trainee, will now become CEO of..., won major award at Cannes, she is...

Priya Nair is named as the next CEO and managing director of Hindustan Unilever Ltd who will take over the position from August 1. She has been associated with the company for 35 years starting from 1995. The 53-year-old woman who is set to be HUL’s first woman CEO has donned several hats in key departments like Home Care, Personal Care, and Beauty & Wellbeing. She started in the company as a management trainee after completing MBA degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune. After completing her training period, she quickly rose to major roles over the next 27 years.

Priya Nair’s leadership roles

Since 2014 Priya has taken up leadership roles at HUL with the appointment as Executive Director for the Home Care division. Since then, she has led a massive improvement drive and cost-focused transformations in her many roles. When she was made Executive Director for Beauty & Personal Care in 2020, Priya maintained her charisma in taking up the responsibility of growing the brand and business momentum. In the next two years, Priya upgraded to a global role as Global Chief Marketing Officer for Beauty & Wellbeing, overseeing global revenue growth, brand equity, innovation, and digital transformation.

Nair’s mobile marketing campaign ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’ further strengthened her image as a skilled marketing professional when it won three Gold Lions at Cannes in 2014.

Nair will be donning the new role for a five-year term ending on July 31, 2030. She will succeed Rohit Jawa, who will step down on July 31, 2025. Jawa, who became MD and CEO in 2023, has decided to leave to "pursue the next chapter in his personal and professional journey," according to the company. HUL also stated that Nair will be joining the company’s Board and will continue as a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE).

Shares of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), a 92-year-old company, surged 5 per cent following announcement of Priya Nair becoming the first woman CEO and MD of the firm on July 11. The stock jumped 5 per cent to Rs 2,529.85 on the BSE. At the NSE, shares of the firm climbed 5 per cent to Rs 2,529.90.