Hindustan Unilever gets its first woman boss. Who is Priya Nair?

For the first time in its 92-year history, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has named a woman as its next Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.

Priya Nair will take charge after Rohit Jawa steps down on July 31, 2025.

Her new role will begin on August 1, 2025.

She will also become a member of the HUL Board, subject to the required approvals, and will continue to be part of the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE).

But who is Priya Nair?

Let’s take a look:

Who is Priya Nair?

She has been named the next Managing Director and CEO of Hindustan Unilever, replacing Rohit Jawa.

Nair currently leads a business worth 13 billion euros as President of Unilever’s Beauty and Wellbeing division, managing hair and skin care brands such as Dove, Sunsilk, Clear and Vaseline.

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HUL Chairman Nitin Paranjpe said in a statement, “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.”

So, who is she?

Nair was born in Kolhapur to Malayalee parents and raised in Mumbai, where she also completed her education.

She earned a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounts and Statistics from Sydenham College, Mumbai. She later pursued an MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, followed by a management course at Harvard Business School.

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She joined HUL in 1995 as a Consumer Insights Manager. In 1998, she became Brand Manager for key products such as Dove, Rin and Comfort.

By 2004, she was promoted to Marketing Manager. In 2007, she became General Manager. In 2009, she began overseeing HUL’s western region, according to her LinkedIn profile.

She went on to serve as Executive Director and CCVP (Customer Development, Consumer and Market Insight, Vice President) for Home Care and Beauty & Personal Care in South Asia.

In 2022, she was named Global Chief Marketing Officer for Beauty & Wellbeing. A year later, she became President of the division, handling a global portfolio worth 13 billion euros (Rs 1.08 lakh crore), which includes hair care, skin care, Prestige Beauty and health & wellbeing.

Nair is currently based in London. She is married and has a daughter.

Notably, HUL is a major Indian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company, offering products across categories such as personal care, food, beverages and cleaning supplies.

This leadership shift comes as Unilever increases its focus on India. Global CEO Fernando Fernandez recently described India as one of the company’s two anchor markets, reflecting the “double down on India” strategy shared in November 2024.

Growth concerns at HUL?

Nair is set to take charge from Rohit Jawa, who is stepping down before completing his five-year term. Since his appointment in June 2023, Jawa has steered HUL through a challenging economic period.

Over the last two years, HUL’s performance has been subdued. Its volume, revenue and earnings have grown by just 2 to 3 per cent annually.

According to Mint, HUL’s volume growth has stayed below 5 per cent over the past six years.

The company is also facing rising competition from agile startups, especially in the beauty and personal care space.

In FY2025, HUL reported a turnover of Rs 61,469 crore and a net profit of Rs 10,644 crore. Its market capitalisation currently stands at Rs 5.66 lakh crore.

Following the announcement of Priya Nair’s appointment as HUL’s first woman CEO, the company’s shares jumped nearly 5 per cent to Rs 2,518.65 on the BSE.

Between 2014 and 2020, as Executive Director of Home Care, Nair led a turnaround that improved the segment’s EBIT margins by 570 basis points, from 13.1 per cent in FY14 to 18.8 per cent in FY20.

This improvement also helped raise HUL’s overall EBIT margin from 15 per cent to 22.3 per cent.

With her five-year term beginning on August 1, 2025, all eyes will be on whether Nair can revive growth across HUL’s wide portfolio and bring back momentum.