Arun Neelakantan

Executive Director, Customer Development

From January to June 2024, he was HUL’s Chief Digital Officer, leading enterprise capabilities across marketing services, media, commerce, and organisational digital transformation. In his tenure, he has amplified key future fit capabilities across influencer & performance marketing, consumer tech, connected commerce, and customised media models. Leveraging the right architecture, in-housing design, and attribution models, he has helped deliver market-beating profitable growth across digital and traditional commerce channels. Under his leadership, HUL further accelerated its progress on enterprise digital programs, including Shikhar, ONDC partnership, and Supply Chain nerve centre enabled by suitable analytics models and technology stacks. In his previous role, he was responsible for HUL's digital transformation and growth agenda in South Asia. He played a key role in anchoring the identification, tapping of growth opportunities, developing new digital capabilities, and driving HUL's digital agenda across the value chain. Under his leadership, HUL shifted its approach to an integrated program towards an intelligent enterprise by consolidating capabilities, unlocking cross-functional ecosystems, and enhancing people's digital quotient.

Before this, he had various roles in Customer Development and Marketing across General Trade, Modern Trade, Customer Marketing and Brands. As Regional Manager for HUL’s South Branch, he led a series of initiatives to make the Customer Development function Future Fit. He led the region to sustainable, consistent, and market-beating growth.

Arun Neelakantan's journey with HUL began in 2006, following the completion of his Bachelor’s degree from IIT Madras, Master’s from Penn State University, and an MBA from Indian School of Business (ISB).