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Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has appointed Priya Nair as its next CEO and MD, marking the first time a woman will lead the 92-year-old FMCG major. Nair, currently President of Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever, will take over from Rohit Jawa on August 1, 2025. Jawa will step down after a brief tenure to pursue new professional opportunities.
The announcement has already sparked optimism in the market, with HUL shares rising 2.3% in early trade to Rs 2,463.8, reflecting investor confidence in Nair’s leadership.
Nair’s elevation is seen not just as a milestone for gender diversity in Indian corporate leadership, but also as a strategic turning point for HUL, which has underperformed peers in recent years amid rising competition and changing consumer preferences.
As per a report by Moneycontrol, analysts believe her deep institutional knowledge, track record of category transformation and focus on premiumisation and innovation position her to lead HUL through a much-needed growth revival.
Brokerage firms have been quick to note the strategic implications of her appointment. Moneycontrol reported that Japan-based Nomura recalled Nair’s leadership in the Home Care segment (2014–2020), where EBIT margins expanded 570 basis points. She also played a pivotal role in pivoting 26% of HUL’s portfolio toward premium demand spaces by 2022, up from 20% in 2020.
In FY24 and FY25, HUL's revenue and earnings growth slowed to a modest 2–3%.
According to Moneycontrol, several analysts including Citi Research, drew parallels with past leadership transitions at companies like Godrej Consumer and Colgate-Palmolive India, which saw significant business turnarounds following management changes. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs expects a volume recovery to play out across FY26, while Morgan Stanley and Investec noted that Jawa’s early exit was unexpected but softened by Nair’s credibility and proven execution.