The Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant, Unilever Plc, announced on Thursday that Manvinder Singh (Vindi) Banga, its president for global foods, home & personal care, was leaving the company in May. Banga was chairman of the company’s Indian subsidiary, Hindustan Unilever, between 2000 and 2004, before moving on to regional and global roles with the parent.
Banga, a 33-year veteran of Unilever, told FE over phone from London that after five years at the Unilever executive board and being part of the core team that helped completely transform the company, it ?really feels like a good moment to move on to do something else and to explore new opportunities.? Though he refused to spell out his next move, he did indicate that it will leverage on his experience of managing a global business and yet ?at the same time, my heart is in India, so I will remain deeply connected with India.?
Vindi Banga, as he his fondly called, led the creation of a ‘One Unilever Global Foods, Home and Personal Care Global Category Organisation’ which is now responsible for innovation and marketing-mix development for all Unilever brands across the globe.
With annual sales of 40-billion euros in 2009, Unilever has 270 brands in 13 categories of which 11 are above 1 billion euros each: these brands are marketed in 200 countries across the globe. Unilever’s product portfolio includes iconic brands such as Hellmann’s, Lipton, Flora, Dove, Lux, Pond’s, Axe, Persil, Surf and Domestos. According to a press statement from Unilever, Banga will be replaced by Michael B Polk who is currently president, Americas. Mike will be succeeded by Dave Lewis, currently executive vice-president of Unilever, UK & Ireland, who will join the Unilever Executive.
Paul Polman, CEO, Unilever, said: ?Vindi is a great leader and has had a very successful career with Unilever. He was responsible for a significant improvement in our innovation results, delivering bigger ideas with global scale, and he will leave a lasting impact on the company. He will be greatly missed.?
With a career spanning over three decades, Banga has worked in a number of roles at Unilever around the world. After a four-year stint as head of HUL (then Hindustan Lever), where he focused on getting profit growth back, he moved to Singapore as president (home & personal care), Asia, in 2004.