Niranjan Gupta Named HUL CFO as Ritesh Tiwari Takes on Global Role at Unilever
Former Hero MotoCorp chief returns to HUL; Tiwari to lead M&A and Treasury at Unilever’s London headquarters
Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL), one of India’s leading FMCG companies, announced on Thursday that Niranjan Gupta will join as Chief Financial Officer-designate and a member of the HUL Management Committee, effective 1 September 2025.
Gupta will succeed Ritesh Tiwari, who has been appointed global head of Mergers & Acquisitions and Treasury at Unilever Plc, based in London. Gupta is set to formally join the HUL Board on 1 November and will report to CEO and Managing Director Priya Nair.
Gupta started his career with HUL and later held senior leadership roles at Vedanta Ltd and Hero MotoCorp, where he was appointed CEO in 2023. During his tenure at Hero, he was credited with driving long-term strategy, improving financial performance, and forging key strategic partnerships—including a collaboration with Harley-Davidson.
“We are delighted to welcome Niranjan back to HUL,” said Priya Nair. “His deep understanding of the business, strategic vision, and financial expertise will be instrumental as we chart our next phase of growth.”
Tiwari, who assumed the role of HUL CFO in 2021, played a vital role in reshaping the company’s financial strategy. His leadership saw portfolio transformation, major acquisitions and divestitures, and the demerger of HUL’s ice cream business into Kwality Walls (India) Ltd—setting the foundation for its independent listing.
“Ritesh has been an exceptional leader whose forward-looking approach and significant contributions have left a lasting impact on HUL,” Nair added. “His elevation to a global role underscores the strength of our leadership pipeline.”
The announcement comes amid a broader wave of leadership transitions at HUL. In August, Priya Nair took over as CEO and Managing Director following the departure of Rohit Jawa, who served just over two years in the role.
Over the past year, Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has bolstered its leadership team with a series of strategic appointments. In March, Rajneet Kohli, former CEO of Britannia Industries, joined as Executive Director, Foods. This followed the appointment of Vivek Mittal as Executive Director, Legal and Corporate Affairs in December 2024. More recently, Vipul Mathur took charge of the Personal Care division, while Arun Neelakantan joined as the head of Customer Development, both becoming part of the HUL Management Committee.
HUL continues to be a vital talent pool for Unilever Plc’s global operations. Notable Indian executives who have risen through HUL ranks to global roles include Nitin Paranjpe, who has held multiple senior positions within the Unilever Leadership Executive (ULE) and currently serves as Non-Executive Chairman of HUL, and Leena Nair, a former Unilever CHRO and ULE member who is now global CEO of Chanel.
In the fiscal year 2025, HUL reported a turnover of ₹60,680 crore, reflecting a 2% increase year-on-year. Profit after tax grew 5% to ₹10,644 crore, underscoring the company’s continued focus on profitable growth amid a dynamic market environment.