Colgate-Palmolive appoints Samir Singh as president, enterprise oral care

NEW YORK : A fresh brush with leadership is underway at Colgate-Palmolive. Samir Singh has been appointed president, enterprise oral care at Colgate-Palmolive, effective 1 June 2026, taking charge of the company’s flagship oral care business worldwide and joining its global leadership team.

The appointment marks a significant step up for Singh, who currently serves as executive vice president, Asia-Pacific at Colgate-Palmolive. As part of the transition, he and his family will relocate to New York, where he will oversee the company’s global oral care portfolio and work with teams across markets to drive the next phase of growth for one of the world’s most recognised consumer categories.

Announcing the move, Colgate-Palmolive president, enterprise oral care Samir Singh said he is delighted to take on the new responsibility and described the opportunity to lead the company’s iconic oral care business as both humbling and exciting. Singh also reflected on his first 18 months at Colgate-Palmolive, highlighting the progress achieved across the Asia-Pacific region alongside his teams and leadership colleagues. He said he looks forward to collaborating with colleagues worldwide to write the next chapter of growth for the business.

His elevation comes less than two years after joining Colgate-Palmolive in December 2024 and underscores the company’s confidence in his ability to lead one of its most strategically important global divisions. Before joining Colgate-Palmolive, Singh built an extensive career spanning more than 26 years with Unilever and Hindustan Unilever. During that period, he held several senior leadership positions, including chair of Unilever Asia Pte Ltd, chief marketing officer for personal care, and global executive vice president for skin cleansing and oral care.

His tenure at Unilever saw him oversee an $8 billion global category portfolio while leading some of the world’s best-known consumer brands, including Dove, Lifebuoy, Axe and Closeup. Industry observers have long credited him with driving purpose-led brand growth, category transformation and large-scale business turnarounds across multiple international markets. Singh began his career at Hindustan Unilever in 1998 and steadily rose through regional, category and global leadership roles across Asia, the Middle East and Europe. His experience spans marketing, sales, innovation, strategy and business leadership, giving him a broad perspective on managing global consumer brands.

An alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Singh has earned a reputation as one of the FMCG industry’s most influential leaders, particularly in areas such as brand building, commercial strategy and cross-border growth management.

The move comes as Colgate-Palmolive continues to sharpen its focus on innovation, premiumisation and global category leadership. With Singh now at the helm of its core oral care business, the company is positioning itself to strengthen its presence in both established and emerging markets.