Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), India’s largest FMCG company, has elevated Priya Nair as the managing director and CEO for a 5-year term after the sudden exit of the incumbent, Rohit Jawa.

Nair, who is now the president of beauty and wellbeing at HUL’s parent Unilever, will be the first woman CEO in the annals of HUL’s close to seven decades of existence in India.

Priya joined HUL in 1995 and held several sales and marketing roles across home care, beauty and wellbeing, and personal care businesses. She was elevated as the executive director, home care, HUL between 2014 and 2020 and the ED, beauty and personal care, from 2020 to 2022.

Subsequently, she went on to become the global chief marketing officer, beauty & wellbeing at Unilever. In 2023, Priya took over as the president of beauty and wellbeing, one of Unilever’s fastest growing businesses.

Nair takes over from August 1, a day after Jawa steps down, three years before his term was to end. Rohit took over as the CEO and MD of HUL in 2023 with a 5-year term, filling up the shoes of Sanjiv Mehta, who ran the company successfully for 10 years.

In a letter to the chairman and the board, Jawa wrote, “I have decided to pursue the next chapter in my personal and professional journey. I am proud of my 37-year strong track record with Unilever, including as leader of strategically significant markets over the last decade in Asia.”

Thanking Rohit for his invaluable leadership, Nitin Paranjpe, chairman of HUL, 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.”

Nair is a commerce graduate from Sydenham College, an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, and has also completed her executive education at Harvard Business School.

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.”