Priya Nair to Become First Woman CEO & MD of Indian Consumer Conglomerate HUL

• Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) will have a female leader for the first time in its 92-year history
• Priya Nair has been named HUL's new managing director and chief executive officer
• She will take over for Rohit Jawa, who is leaving on July 31, 2025, to pursue new career and personal opportunities
   

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is, for the first time in its 92-year history, to be headed by a woman. Priya Nair has been named the successor to the role of the company's future Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director as of August 1, 2025. She succeeds Rohit Jawa, who will resign on July 31 to explore other personal and professional opportunities.

This appointment represents a significant milestone in gender representation in Indian corporate boards. Priya is an experienced hand with close to 30 years of tenure at HUL, with a wealth of experience and in-depth knowledge of the Indian consumer. She joined HUL in 1995 as a Consumer Insights Manager and had played important positions like Brand Manager for popular brands such as Dove, Comfort, and Rin. Over time, she led several major categories including oral care, deodorants, and laundry.

Her career includes being Executive Director and CCVP for South Asia's Beauty & Personal Care and Homecare business. She was elevated in 2022 as Global Chief Marketing Officer, Unilever Beauty & Wellbeing business, and President, Global Business Unit, in 2023—one of Unilever's growth-furious units.

Educationally, Priya is a Bachelor of Commerce (Account & Statistics) from Sydenham College, Mumbai, and an MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune. She has also completed a course in Business Administration and Management at Harvard Business School.

HUL Chairman Nitin Paranjpe welcomed her appointment and said, "Priya has had a distinguished career in HUL and Unilever. With her deep market knowledge and success record in leadership positions, I have no doubt she will take HUL to even greater success."

In addition to her new role, Priya will continue to serve on the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) and, subject to regulatory approval, be added to the Board of Hindustan Unilever.

Rohit Jawa, who took over as CEO and MD in 2023, has the task of steering the organization through challenging market conditions like subdued urban demand and a slow recovery in discretionary outgo. Despite all this, he is known to have delivered volume-driven growth since he took over as CEO and MD.