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FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on Friday appointed Rohit Jawa as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Jawa, presently the Chief of Transformation for Unilever, will take over the leadership role from June 27, 2023. 

He will succeed Sanjiv Mehta, who will retire from the company after a tenure of 10 years.  

Jawa will also take over as the President of Unilever South Asia and join the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) effective April 1, 2023. He will join the company as the CEO-designate and whole-time director from April 1, 2023.

At present, Jawa is the Chief of Transformation for Unilever in London. He started his career with HUL as a management trainee in 1988 and has a proven track record of sustained business results across India, Southeast Asia, and North Asia.

As the EVP for North Asia and Chairman for Unilever China, Jawa led the transformation of Unilever China into a competitive, profitable, and consistent business, now Unilever’s third biggest globally. 

He was also the Chairman of Unilever Philippines, where he led the business to become one of the top 10 markets for Unilever globally. 

“Rohit’s ability to integrate the strength of traditional markets with digital technologies and future-fit business models positions him well to take HUL into its next growth phase,” HUL said in a statement.

On Jawa’s appointment, Nitin Paranjpe, Non-Executive Chairman, HUL, said, “I am delighted to welcome Rohit back to India. He has a deep understanding of the business landscape, particularly in Asia, and has led the transformation of Unilever businesses in China and the Philippines. I am certain that with his astute business acumen and growth mindset, Rohit will take HUL to the next level of performance.” 

Since October 2013, Mehta, the former MD and CEO of HUL, helped HUL cross the Rs 50,000 crore turnover mark, while the market capitalisation increased more than 4X from $17 billion to $75 billion.