Hll's M.S. Banga to Head Unilever's Us$ 6-Billion HPC Business In Asia

HLL today announced re-organisation of its management structure – the apex being a National Management, chaired by HLL’s Vice Chairman, Mr. M.K. Sharma, and comprising Mr. D. Sundaram, Director – Finance & IT, and two newly appointed Managing Directors, Mr. Arun Adhikari (for HPC) and Mr. S. Ravindranath (for Foods). The National Management will have responsibility for HLL’s performance and results, and overall coordination of the Divisional Structure and Corporate Functions.

While continuing as Chairman of HLL, Mr. Banga will have overall leadership and responsibility for the HPC business of Unilever in Asia, covering India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, etc. Unilever’s HPC-Asia accounts for a turnover of around US$ 6 billion. HLL accounts for about 30% of this turnover.

HLL’s organisation structure is being modified to form two Divisions – HPC and Foods. The newly created HPC division, headed by Mr. Adhikari as MD, will integrate the Soaps & Detergents business and the Personal Products business. Similarly, the Foods Division, headed by Mr. Ravindranath as MD, will integrate the Beverages, Foods, Ice Cream and Confectionery businesses.

The New Ventures and non-FMCG businesses, comprising Plantations and Speciality Exports, will continue to be headed by three Executive Directors: Mr. Dalip Sehgal (New Ventures), Mr. Satish Dhall (Plantations), Mr. Anoop Mathur (Technology and Speciality Exports). These Executive Directors will report to Mr. M.K. Sharma, Vice Chairman. Mr. Sharma will also be responsible for Human Resources, Marketing Services, Corporate Affairs, Corporate Communication, Technology, and Legal & Secretarial functions.

The new structure will simplify the organisation and provide sharper focus on key brands and categories, and thereby better resource deployment. HLL will continue to harness synergies of size and scale across businesses to generate competitive advantage. The cost reduction will enable further investment in brand building. The new organisation and leadership changes will also enable the company to leverage its linkages with Unilever across Asia more effectively.