Priya Nair: A 30-year ascent to the helm of HUL

For the first time in its history, Hindustan Unilever will be led by a woman. Priya Nair has taken over as Managing Director and CEO of the FMCG giant, marking a major milestone for both the company and corporate India.

Nair steps into the role at a time when the company is navigating slowing rural demand, heightened competitive pressure, and growing scrutiny of big brands. She succeeds Rohit Jawa, who moves into a global leadership role at Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch parent company.

A Unilever veteran of 30 years, Nair’s rise through the ranks has been marked by deep category expertise and long stints across marketing and sales. She began her journey at HUL in 1995 in the consumer insights function and went on to work across key brands such as Dove, Surf, Rin, and Close-Up.

Over the years, she has held several leadership roles across categories, including detergents, deodorants, oral care, and homecare.

Most recently based out of London, Nair served as President of Unilever’s global Beauty & Wellbeing division since 2024, and before that, as Global Chief Marketing Officer (Jul 2022- Jan 2024), where she was responsible for revenue growth, brand equity, innovation rollout, and digital marketing transformation.

Her big leap came when she took charge of the oral care and deodorants portfolio in 2007, where she managed powerhouse brands like Pepsodent, Close Up, Axe, and Rexona. That reputation only grew stronger when she was elevated to General Manager of Customer Development, handling HUL’s western region sales, which is one-fourth of the company’s national business. In the years that followed, Nair cemented her leadership credentials with back-to-back roles as Executive Director across Homecare, and later Beauty & Personal Care.

In India, she has served as an Independent Director on the board of a listed company, was a board member of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), and has worked with multiple government bodies on public-private initiatives. She has also played an active role in industry organisations like the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) India.

Nair holds a strong academic foundation in business and marketing. She earned her MBA in Marketing from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune, in 1994, after completing her undergraduate studies in Commerce with a focus on Accounts and Statistics from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics, Mumbai. She has also earned an executive degree at Harvard Business School, further sharpening her leadership and management capabilities for global business contexts.