Rohit Jawa ends 37-year Unilever journey, passes HUL baton to Priya Nair

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Rohit Jawa, managing director and chief executive of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), is stepping down after a distinguished 37-year tenure with Unilever, having held leadership roles across eight markets, including two of the most significant, China and India.

Reflecting on his journey, Jawa called it a “fulfilling career” and said he now hopes to chart a new path in the second half of his professional life.

“How many people can count as having been leader of both China and India in one career? I feel very grateful and also excited — I want to try new things and create a new profile of work and life,” he said in a post-earnings press conference call on July 31.

Jawa, who took over the reins of HUL in June 2023, will be succeeded by Priya Nair, a company veteran with over three decades of experience. Homegrown successor Nair will take charge from August as announced by the FMCG major earlier this month.

Jawa noted that Nair’s deep understanding of the Indian business and her global leadership experience in Unilever’s beauty and wellbeing segment make her the “perfect casting for this time”.

“She’s been on the HUL management committee for seven years and has done a global role as well. I was the one who carved out beauty and wellbeing as a vertical because I see that as a source of future value creation for us... and she’s all in for that too," he added.

Jawa started his career with HUL as a management trainee in 1988 and worked across  India, Southeast Asia and North Asia.

As executive vice-president, North Asia, and chairman, Unilever China, he helped transform the business into Unilever’s third largest globally. He developed a distinct strategic agenda for China, championed digitalisation and premiumisation, and steered the business very capably through the Covid crisis, according to HUL's website.

HUL on Thursday reported a 6 percent year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 2,768 crore for the quarter ended June 2025, aided by lower tax expenses and volume-led sales growth across key categories.

Revenue (total sales) grew 5 percent to Rs 16,323 crore, with underlying volume growth at 4 percent and underlying sales growth at 5 percent, HUL said in a stock exchange filing.