Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) announced that Arun Neelakantan, currently serving as the chief digital officer, will assume the role of executive director, customer development, starting July 1st, 2024. He will succeed Kedar Lele, who is stepping down to explore new external opportunities.
Neelakantan embarked on his journey with HUL as a Key Account Manager in Modern Trade back in 2006, following the completion of his Bachelor’s Degree from IIT Madras, followed by a Master’s from Penn State University, and subsequently an MBA from the Indian School of Business (ISB). Throughout his tenure, he has demonstrated exceptional performance, spearheading significant teams and driving transformative initiatives in customer development and marketing across various sectors including general trade, modern trade, customer marketing, and brand building.
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“Within the organisation, Arun has excelled in a number of capacities. His profound comprehension of the customer development landscape in the country, along with his foresight into future channels and proficiency in data and technology, positions him to elevate HUL’s Customer Development and Sales to unprecedented levels,” stated Rohit Jawa, CEO and Managing Director of HUL.
As the regional manager overseeing the company’s largest branch in Chennai, he consistently delivered market-leading growth. His leadership facilitated the South region in introducing numerous groundbreaking initiatives, supported by profound consumer insights and exemplary market execution. He played a pivotal role in driving HUL’s digital transformation program across consumer, customer, and operational domains, enhancing data and digital capabilities for category and eCommerce teams, according to the company.
“It was Kedar who led HUL’s entry into eCommerce. Under his guidance, our innovative eB2B app, Shikhar, experienced significant expansion, now reaching over a million retailers nationwide. I extend my gratitude to him for the enduring contributions he has made to HUL during his two-decade journey with us,” remarked Jawa.
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