MAM
Management shuffle at HUL
MUMBAI: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has announced key changes in the management committee of the company. Subject to Unilever Indonesia’s external board approval, Hemant Bakshi, currently executive director – home and personal care, will be appointed as executive vice president (EVP) of Unilever Indonesia.
The home and personal care (HPC) business will now be organised into home care and personal care businesses in India. Samir Singh, currently global brand vice president Lifebuoy and vice president – personal care lead, south Asia cluster, Unilever, will be appointed as HUL executive director – personal care and Priya Nair, currently vice president – Laundry, HUL, will be appointed as executive director – home care. Both Nair and Singh will be part of the management committee of HUL and their appointments are effective 1 October 2014.
HUL CEO & managing director Sanjiv Mehta said, “I wish to take the opportunity to express my deep appreciation for the significant contribution that Hemant has made to the India business, both in his current role as executive director – HPC and his earlier role as executive director – CD. I would like to congratulate Hemant on his move to Unilever Indonesia and wish him all the best in his new assignment.”
Nair joined the company in the consumer insights team in 1995, where she brought with her a diverse and rich experience including customer development and marketing. In her earlier roles, she has worked across various brands such as Dove, Axe, Rexona, Closeup, Pepsodent. As VP home care she has been leading the entire detergents portfolio of HUL. More recently, she has led the launch of HUL’s path breaking rural mobile marketing initiative ‘Kan Khajura Tesan’ which received three Gold Lion awards at the 2014 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Singh on the other hand joined Unilever in 1997 as a management trainee in India. He has worked across many brands including Fair & Lovely, Vaseline, Ponds and has also worked in Foods in Customer Development in India.
For the past four years Singh has been the global brand vice president for Lifebuoy and a member of the Global Category Leadership Team for skin cleansing. In this role, he has led global strategy, innovation and communication for Lifebuoy in more than 30 key countries across the world. He was also the personal care cluster lead for south Asia in 2014.
“We have reorganised the home and personal care business into two separate businesses to ensure focus on the growth drivers for each of these businesses. I am pleased to welcome Priya and Samir to their new roles. Both bring with them rich and diverse marketing and business experience in Unilever. Priya joined HUL in 1995 and has worked in roles across marketing, customer development and CMI. Samir joined HUL in 1997 and has worked in various roles in HUL and across the regional and global Unilever organisation,” he added.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
