Prabha Narasimhan takes over as MD of Colgate-Palmolive India

Former HUL executive director Prabha Narasimhan takes over as managing director of Colgate-Palmolive India, today. She is the first external managing director of the company in the last 12 years. Narasimhan decided to move from the FMCG juggernaut, Hindustan Unilever, earlier this year, to take over the reins of the oral care major from Ram Raghavan who has moved to a global role. 

Narasimhan said in a post she shared today, "Everyone deserves a future they can smile about is the core philosophy of the Colgate brand. Today, as I start my new journey with Colgate, this definitely made me smile. Over the last three months I have had the opportunity to travel across 6 different countries and 7 offices to meet and understand this business and its people and it has been an amazing experience. I am now excited and eager to work with the Colgate Palmolive team in India on brands that I have grown up with and a business that is an absolute powerhouse."

She added, "No post of starting would be complete however without a look back at my time with Unilever. I consider myself extremely privileged to have worked for over 2 decades in such a fabulous organisation and more importantly work with such amazing colleagues - many of whom are lifelong friends. I will continue to watch & cheer their progress. Thank you to everyone, far too many to name here, who have helped me get to this position and thanks in advance to my new Colgate colleagues who I am excited to get to know more."

"Today begins with a wide smile on my face as I start my future helping build bright smiles for all."

This is the FMCG company’s first hiring from outside the company at the top post in 12 years. The last time HUL hired from outside was in 2010, when it picked Mukul Deoras, also from HUL, to become MD of Colgate-Palmolive (India), CNBC-TV18 reported. 

Narasimhan joined HUL in January 2006 as a regional marketing manager before becoming a regional brand director for the company’s Lipton & Brooke Bond brands the next year, as per her LinkedIn profile.

An Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore alumni, she rose through the ranks in HUL in over 15 years to become executive director for home care and vice-president, home care for Unilever, South Asia. Before HUL, she had a brief stint at Madura Garments as general manager, strategy.

According to the HUL website, under Narasimhan’s leadership in 2016-19, HUL’s “skincare business delivered a spectacular market-beating growth rate”. She moved to the home care role in early 2020, according to the website.

Narasimhan has over 23 years of experience across consumer marketing insights, customer development and marketing roles in multiple geographies and categories (beauty and personal care and refreshment).

HUL also said Narasimhan was leading the sustainability initiatives for HUL. HUL is reformulating products like cleaning supplies with plant-based, green carbon ingredients as alternatives to fossil fuels.