MUMBAI: Former Britannia CEO Rajneet Kohli is joining Hindustan Unilever (HUL) as executive director, foods. Kohli will be taking over from Shiva Krishnamurthy who is moving on from HUL to pursue an external opportunity, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Kohli’s appointment will be effective from April 7.
Kohli who led Britannia as its CEO and executive director for close to three years, helping the company strengthen its position in the competitive food and bakery segment comes with more than two decades of experience across the consumer goods and retail sectors. Prior to his stint at Britannia, Kohli held senior positions in firms like Jubilant Foodworks, The Coca-Cola Company and Asian Paints.
Kohli joins HUL at a time when the company is betting on high growth spaces to gain market share and drive consumption in a rapidly evolving market with consumers experimenting and seeking more from brands. The foods business is HUL’s second biggest after home care. The business which includes brands like Knorr, Brooke Bond and Kissan posted revenues of over Rs 3,000 crore in the December quarter.
“Foods is a large business unit for HUL with strong growth potential. Rajneet brings extensive experience in managing large foods and beverages businesses and driving high performance. I am confident that he will lead the foods business to the next phase of growth and transformation,” said Rohit Jawa, CEO and MD at HUL.