Priya Nair has been named the next Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), becoming the first woman to lead the company in its 92‑year history. Her appointment takes effect on August 1, 2025, for a five-year term, as Rohit Jawa steps down effective July 31. Nair will also join HUL’s board and continue as a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive.

Nair’s journey within Unilever spans three decades, commencing in 1995 in roles across consumer insights and brand management for marquee brands like Dove, Rin, and Comfort. She progressed through leadership positions including Executive Director of Home Care (2014–2020), Executive Director of Beauty & Personal Care (2020–2022), and Global Chief Marketing Officer for Beauty & Wellbeing. Since 2023, she has served as President of Beauty & Wellbeing—Unilever’s €13 billion growth engine. Her elevation to the top post in HUL reflects her strategic leadership and deep understanding of India’s consumer landscape.

Her appointment sparked enthusiastic market response, with HUL shares jumping around 4–5% on the announcement—a clear vote of investor confidence in her leadership and transformation capabilities in a market currently facing growth pressures and rising competition from digital-first and local brands.

Analysts forecast Nair’s immediate priorities will include accelerating premiumization of the portfolio, reviving growth across core categories such as beauty, personal care, and tea, and driving digital and omnichannel transformation. In previous roles, she notably boosted HUL’s margins—improving home care margins by over 570 basis points between FY14 and FY20—and increased focus on premium channels in beauty and wellbeing from 20% in 2020 to 26% by 2022.

Beyond her strategic credentials, Priya Nair’s appointment signals progress in gender representation at the executive level. While women hold under 20% of C‑suite positions in Indian corporates, her elevation to HUL’s top post marks a notable milestone and a broader push for leadership diversity in the FMCG sector and India Inc.

Educated in Mumbai with a Commerce degree from Sydenham College followed by an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, Nair also completed executive education at Harvard Business School. Known for taking calculated risks and championing digital-first marketing approaches, she has been a vocal advocate for innovation-led growth and youth engagement as part of Unilever’s leadership forums.

As she takes the helm, expectations are high that Nair will reinvigorate India’s largest FMCG major—realigning strategy, revitalizing brands, and accelerating digital transformation to reclaim leadership amid intensifying competition. Her proven execution track record and deep market insights position her well to lead HUL into its next phase.