Prabha Narasimhan set to take over as CEO and MD of Colgate-Palmolive India

In a filing to the exchanges on Thursday- the maker of Colgate Toothpaste and Palmolive Hand Wash said that the Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors has approved that with effect from April 16, 2022, the company’s Managing Director and CEO Ram Raghavan will be promoted. has gone. President, Enterprise Oral Care, Colgate Palmolive Company. Raghavan will be based out of the company’s headquarters in New York.

The company also announced the appointment of Prabha Narasimhan as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited with effect from September 1, 2022. Analysts said Narasimhan has become the company’s first external managing director in the last 12 years.

Narasimhan has over two decades of experience in consumer marketing insights, customer development and marketing roles across multiple geographies and across categories including beauty, personal care and refreshments. In his last role – Narasimhan was Executive Director, Home Care and Vice President, Home Care, Unilever, South Asia, Hindustan Unilever Limited. Narasimhan had joined HUL in 2006.

Narasimhan is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore. She joins the league of former HUL executives who have led large consumer product businesses.

Last year- Mumbai-based FMCG company Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) announced the appointment of Sudhir Sitapati as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Sitapati was the former Executive Director, Food and Refreshments at HUL. HUL’s Indian business executives have also moved to top global roles within the wider Unilever ecosystem.

According to HUL’s website – under Narasimhan’s leadership, the skin care business achieved a market comparable growth rate between 2016-19.

This was enabled by broad-based performance distribution across all brands and sub-segments – the color business delivering high double-digit growth throughout the tenure, strengthening our flagship brand Glow & Lovely and expanding into new skin care segments enters. Narasimhan moved into the home care role in early 2020.

Analysts tracking the company have welcomed the move.

Abneesh Roy, Executive Director, Avneesh Roy said, “Narasimhan could be a great hire for Colgate India to further ramp up the aggression in oral care – especially to gain back market share from Dabur, Patanjali and one in Naturals. Big game and Palmolive enhances the brand.” Institutional Equities, Edelweiss Securities Roy said this reflects renewed aggression by the company to try out new initiatives.

“We are seeing a significant increase in new launches (premium toothpaste, smart brush) by Colgate in the last few quarters. Colgate is undergoing a transition from oral care to oral beauty as a premium one. It is now expanding the Palmolive range, making it a second growth driver (face care lines),” he said.

Company reported total revenue in FY 2021 4,871.56 crore with a profit of 1,035.38 crores. In India, the company sells oral care and personal care products such as body wash, toothpaste, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, body wash and mouth spray.