Godrej Consumer Products Appoints Hindustan Unilever’s Sudhir Sitapati As Managing Director And CEO

Godrej Consumer Products has appointed Sudhir Sitapati as its managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company for a period of five years with effect from October 18, 20121. Mr Sitapati spent 22 years at Hindustan Unilever where he led teams across categories and functions in India, Europe, South East Asia and Africa to create significant value for the business.

“He was appointed to the HUL Management Committee as an executive director in 2016, making him one of its youngest ever members. Under Sudhir’s leadership, HUL built up its Foods and Refreshments business as one of the largest in India. This included the $5 billion merger and integration of GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare with HUL, the largest deal of its kind in the FMCG sector in India,” Godrej Consumer Products said in a press release.

Mr Sitapati has an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and a B.Sc in Math with Economics Honours from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

“Sudhir is the author of the best-selling book ‘The CEO Factory: Management lessons from Hindustan Unilever’. The book is already in its sixth edition and was recommended by the Harvard Business Review as one of the best reads of 2020,” Godrej Consumer Products added.

Nisaba Godrej, who is currently the Chairperson & Managing Director, will serve as Executive Chairperson, Godrej Consumer Products said.

“It is an honour to have the opportunity to lead a company like GCPL and I am thankful to the Board for the confidence that they have reposed in me. I am very inspired by the legacy of the Godrej Group, and GCPL’s purpose of bringing the goodness of health and beauty to consumers across emerging markets. I am excited about working closely with the talented GCPL team to build on the incredible work they are doing and create sustainable, long-term value for our company,” Sudhir Sitapati said in a statement.

Commenting on Mr Sitapati’s appointment, Nisaba Godrej, Executive Chairperson said, “I am delighted to be welcoming Sudhir to Godrej. His significant experience and passion for building sustainable and profitable brands and businesses aligns very strongly with our purpose at GCPL. Sudhir’s values-based leadership style also makes him a great fit with the Godrej culture. I look forward to his partnership in unlocking the amazing potential of our company and leading its next phase of growth.”