Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) has announced the appointment of Niranjan Gupta as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), marking a homecoming for the veteran leader who began his career at the company. Gupta brings with him over three decades of experience across finance, strategy, and leadership, having previously spent 20 years at Unilever in senior finance and supply chain roles before moving on to global assignments.
Gupta’s career trajectory took a significant turn in 2017 when he joined Hero MotoCorp as CFO, where he played a crucial role in driving operational and financial excellence. In 2023, he was elevated to Chief Executive Officer, a position in which he steered the company toward record revenue and profitability. Under his leadership, Hero MotoCorp launched its long-term strategic vision, the “House of Strategy – HOS 2030,” with a sharper focus on premium motorcycles and the fast-growing electric vehicle segment. His framework, built around the 4S mantra — Speed, Scale, Synergy, and Simplification — became central to the company’s transformation journey.
Before his stint at Hero, Gupta also worked with the Vedanta Group and later expanded his influence through board roles at Ather Energy, HMCMM, and HMCL Colombia. These experiences further strengthened his expertise in areas such as electric mobility, auto components, and international operations.
Gupta is also recognized for his distinctive leadership approach, shaped by his people-first philosophy based on the “3Es” — Enable, Empower, and Energize. This management style has consistently helped him build high-performing teams while fostering innovation and sustainable growth.
His return to HUL comes at a strategic juncture for the FMCG leader, which continues to operate in an increasingly dynamic market environment. As the company doubles down on governance, innovation, and value creation, Gupta’s financial acumen and leadership experience are expected to play a vital role in strengthening HUL’s long-term growth agenda.
With his appointment, HUL reaffirms its commitment to robust financial leadership and positions itself strongly to navigate future challenges and opportunities in the fast-moving consumer goods industry.