Hindustan Unilever Appoints Vandana Suri as New Executive Director, Home Care

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), a leading fast-moving consumer goods company in India, has announced a significant change in its leadership team. The company has appointed Ms. Vandana Suri as the new Executive Director, Home Care and General Manager, India-Home Care Business Unit, effective January 1, 2026.

Key Leadership Transition

Ms. Suri will be succeeding Mr. Srinandan Sundaram, who is set to take on a new role as the Chief Executive Officer of Unilever International. This transition marks an important change in HUL's Management Committee, signaling the company's focus on nurturing talent and ensuring smooth succession planning.

About Vandana Suri

Vandana Suri brings a wealth of experience to her new role at HUL. Her appointment comes after a successful tenure as the General Manager, Beauty & Wellbeing for Unilever Indonesia. With over 20 years of experience in building brands and leading categories, Suri has worked with multinational companies such as PepsiCo, Tetra Pak, and Nielsen before joining HUL in 2011.

Career Highlights

Throughout her career at Unilever, Vandana Suri has held several key positions:

Position	Achievements
Leader of Premium Laundry Portfolio at HUL	Consistently delivered strong growth
Vice President, Skin Care & Colour Cosmetics, Beauty & Wellbeing at HUL	Charted a premiumization pathway for Skin Care, focusing on high-growth spaces and formats
GM for Beauty & Wellbeing, Indonesia	Drove an ambitious transformation agenda leading to business growth

Company's Perspective

Ms. Priya Nair, CEO and Managing Director of HUL, expressed confidence in Vandana's abilities, stating, "Vandana has a deep understanding of consumers, markets, and ecosystems. She has successfully led diverse, multicultural teams to foster high performance with empathy. I welcome her back to HUL and I am confident that she will take the Home Care business to even greater heights."

Outgoing Executive Director

The company also acknowledged the contributions of Mr. Srinandan Sundaram, who joined HUL as a management trainee and has spent the last nine years as part of the Management Committee. As the Executive Director for Home Care, Sundaram led the business to growth and decisive market share gains.

Looking Ahead

This leadership change comes at a time when HUL continues to maintain a strong financial position. As of March 2025, the company reported total assets of ₹78,313.00 crore, showing a steady growth of 1.60% year-over-year and 14.97% over the past five years.

The appointment of Vandana Suri is expected to bring fresh perspectives to HUL's Home Care division, potentially driving innovation and growth in this key business segment. As the company navigates the evolving consumer goods landscape, this strategic move underscores HUL's commitment to leveraging experienced leadership to maintain its market position and drive future growth.

1 Day	5 Days	1 Month	6 Months	1 Year	5 Years
-0.09%	+1.66%	+0.18%	+3.92%	-0.59%	+15.54%

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has disclosed an investor presentation detailing the strategic roadmap for Kwality Walls (India) Limited (KWIL), as the ice cream business prepares for demerger. The presentation, sanctioned by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Mumbai bench, positions KWIL as a formidable player in India's ice cream market, with ambitious growth plans and a clear path to value creation.

Key Highlights of the Kwality Walls (India) Limited Presentation

Market Position: KWIL is positioned as India's second-largest ice cream player, showcasing its strong market presence.
Financial Performance: The company reported a revenue of ₹7.90 billion, indicating a substantial business scale.
Strategic Growth Pillars: KWIL outlined several strategic pivots to drive growth:
- Cabinet expansion to increase product availability
- Premiumization of product offerings
- Leveraging digital commerce for enhanced reach
Listing Plans: KWIL is planning to list its equity shares on both BSE Limited (BSE) and National Stock Exchange Limited (NSE), subject to necessary approvals and market conditions.

Financial Snapshot: Hindustan Unilever Limited

To provide context on the parent company's financial position, here's a snapshot of HUL's key balance sheet items:

Metric (₹ in crores)	FY 2025	FY 2024	YoY Change
Total Assets	78313.00	77076.00	1.60%
Current Assets	20899.00	20296.00	2.97%
Fixed Assets	52907.00	52379.00	1.01%
Total Equity	49153.00	50973.00	-3.57%
Current Liabilities	15672.00	12403.00	26.36%

Analysis and Implications

Strategic Focus: The demerger of the ice cream business into KWIL demonstrates HUL's strategy to create focused entities that can better capitalize on specific market opportunities.
Growth Potential: With India's ice cream market showing promising growth trends, KWIL's strategic initiatives are well-positioned to capture a larger market share.
Digital Transformation: The emphasis on digital commerce aligns with changing consumer behaviors and could provide KWIL with a competitive edge in reaching a wider customer base.
Financial Implications: While the demerger may impact HUL's revenue in the short term, it allows for more targeted investments and potentially higher returns in the ice cream segment.
Investor Opportunity: The planned listing of KWIL on major stock exchanges presents a new investment avenue for those interested in the Indian ice cream market.

Conclusion

The unveiling of KWIL's strategic plan marks a significant milestone in HUL's corporate restructuring efforts. As the ice cream business prepares for its independent journey, investors and market watchers will be keenly observing how this focused approach translates into market performance and shareholder value. The success of this demerger could set a precedent for similar moves in the FMCG sector, potentially reshaping how conglomerates approach diverse product categories in evolving consumer markets.