HUL’s Sanjiv Mehta named Unilever South Asia president

British-Dutch consumer goods company Unilever on Thursday said Sanjiv Mehta, chairman and managing director of Hindustan Unilever (HUL), has been promoted to the position of the company's South Asia president.

Mehta, who has been in Unilever for more than 26 years and headed the company’s business in Bangladesh, the Philippines, and North Africa & Middle East, will also join the Unilever Leadership Executive, the company said in a statement. He has been the head of HUL since October 2013 and was executive vice president, Unilever, South Asia.

“Sanjiv (Mehta) has been one of our most impressive general managers with a consistent track record of growth and execution in high-growth and emerging markets. He has been instrumental in unlocking strong performance in South Asia, delivering exceptional top and bottom line growth,” Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever said in the statement.

Unilever also named former HUL India CEO and former South Asia executive vice president Nitin Paranjpe as its new chief operating officer, responsible for its go-to-market organisations, driving and co-ordinating in-year performance globally in line with its divisional strategies, the company said.

Paranjpe, who joined HUL in 1987 and has held several senior positions in both Unilever London and HUL, was president of the foods & refreshment division, Unilever, since last year.

Mehta is also director on the board of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, a member of the Breach Candy Hospital Trust, and a member of the India Advisory Boards of Harvard Business School. He also chairs Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s (FICCI) FMCG committee and CII’s national committee on MNCs.

All changes will be effective from May 1, 2019, Unilever added.