Who is Priya Nair, Hindustan Unilever’s first woman CEO?

Dubai: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has announced that a new CEO, Priya Nair, will be leading the company. The shift is a landmark move for Nair, as she will become the company’s first female CEO.

Nair is expected to start the role on August 1, while the previous CEO, Rohit Jawa, will step down from his role as the CEO and Managing Director on July 31.

Apart from taking on the role of CEO, Nair will also join the HUL Board and continue her membership of the Unilever Leadership Executive.

Here’s what you need to know about this business trailblazer.

Essential background

Nair holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, in Pune, India. She first joined Hindustan Unilever in 1995, working closely with the sales and marketing departments, specifically for the company’s home care and beauty and personal care sectors. Since then, she has found great success in this niche. Nair went on to grow into bigger roles in the beauty and wellbeing sector, such as becoming the Global Chief Marketing Officer in 2022, and the Business Group President in 2024.

Nair’s contributions to the business world have been widely recognised in India. For instance, she has been a board member for the Advertising Standards Council of India and has also had key participation in forums like MMA India.

Some of the key Unilever brands she has largely been responsible for include Surf, Dove, Axe, Wheel, and more.

Nitin Paranjpe, Chairman of HUL, expressed his remarks on Nair’s switch into the role. “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,” he said.

Nair is the successor to Rohit Jawa, who previously held the CEO position for two years. Alongside the CEO title, Jawa was also the President and Managing Director. Jawa has also been a long-standing employee of Hindustan Unilever, first joining the company in 1988.

Paranjpe shared a statement reflecting the impact of Jawa’s leadership for the company. “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,” he added.

Unilever’s history

Hindustan Unilever has been an established entity in India for nearly 100 years now. Unilever launched its first Indian subsidiary in 1931, followed by two others in the coming years. It wasn’t until 1956 that the three existing subsidiaries were merged to create HUL. Since then, the company has passed many milestones, including achieving a turnover of Rs500 billion in 2022.