Gopal Vittal quits HUL

Hemant Bakshi takes over as ED, home & personal care

Gopal Vittal, Executive Director, Home & Personal Care, of Hindustan Unilever, has resigned to pursue an external opportunity. He is being replaced by Hemant Bakshi, currently Executive Director, Sales and Customer Development. 

HUL also announced that Manish Tiwary, currently Vice-President, Modern Trade, HUL, has been appointed as Executive Director,  Sales and Customer Development, HUL. With this appointment, Manish joins the Management Committee, the top executive team of HUL, led by Nitin Paranjpe, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HUL. 

Nitin Paranjpe, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, HUL, said, “Gopal has contributed significantly to building the marketing leadership capability of HUL. I would like to thank Gopal for his invaluable contribution in his 21 years of service with HUL.” 

“Hemant has led the transformation of the customer development function and has further strengthened the distribution edge of HUL through a number of path breaking initiatives. Manish has contributed significantly to developing the capability of HUL’s Modern Trade team delivering record growth for the company through this channel. I wish both of them the very best in their new assignments,” Nitin said.

HUL is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods company touching the lives of two out of three Indians. HUL works to create a better future every day. We help people feel good, look good and get more out of life with brands and services that are good for them and good for others.

Bakshi (47) joined the company in June 1989 and has worked in various sales and marketing assignments spanning across Personal Products and Home Care categories.

He has also held key stints as Business Manager leading one of the new ventures in 2000 and later as Regional Manager – South in 2002. He was appointed as Regional Brand Vice President (FAL and Lifebuoy), South Asia, for Unilever in January 2005. In May 2006, he was appointed as Regional Category Vice President for Skin, South Asia, Unilever and was appointed as the Executive Director, Sales & Customer Development for HUL on September 1, 2008. Hemant is credited with dramatic expansion of HUL’s direct distribution coverage. 

He passed out from IIT, Bombay, in Chemical Engineering in 1986 and has done his PGDM from IIM Ahmedabad. 

Tiwary, (42), currently Vice President – Modern Trade, joined the Company in June 1995 and has worked in various sales, marketing and general management assignments across HUL. 

He has played a key role in strengthening organizational capability for servicing the growing Modern Trade channel. Manish has also been responsible for driving the IT agenda in Customer Management for strengthening competitive advantage for HUL. Prior to the current assignment, Manish was the General Manager, Sales & Customer Development, for HUL in North India. Manish has been involved with the organized retailing business from the early stages and is an active member of various industry forums in this area. 

He is a Computer Engineer by training and has done his PGDM from IIM Bangalore.