HUL names Arun Neelakantan as Head of Customer Development

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) announced a key change to its Management Committee. Arun Neelakantan (43), currently Chief Digital Officer at HUL, will transition to the role of Executive Director, Customer Development, effective July 1st, 2024. He succeeds Kedar Lele, who will be departing HUL to pursue an external opportunity.

Neelakantan brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having joined HUL in 2006 as a Key Account Manager in Modern Trade. Over his tenure, he has consistently delivered strong results across various functions within Customer Development and Marketing, including General Trade, Modern Trade, Customer Marketing, and Brand Building. Notably, during his time as Regional Manager leading HUL's largest branch in Chennai, Neelakantan spearheaded market-beating growth and spearheaded several pioneering customer development initiatives.

In his most recent role as Chief Digital Officer, Neelakantan played a pivotal role in accelerating HUL's digital transformation journey across consumer, customer, and operations ecosystems. He also significantly strengthened the company's data and digital capabilities for both category and eCommerce teams.

"Arun's proven track record across diverse roles within HUL makes him ideally suited for this leadership position. His deep understanding of the Indian customer development landscape, coupled with his expertise in data, technology, and future-oriented channels, will be instrumental in propelling HUL's Customer Development and Sales to even greater heights."

Jawa also expressed his gratitude to Kedar Lele for his significant contributions to the company. "Kedar spearheaded HUL's successful entry into the eCommerce space. Under his leadership, our pioneering eB2B app Shikhar achieved remarkable growth, reaching over a million retailers across India. We are thankful for his dedication and lasting contributions during his 20-year journey with HUL" said Rohit Jawa, CEO and Managing Director of HUL.