The Hindu Business Line : Banga joins Unilever Executive; elevated as President

MR M.S. Banga, non-executive Chairman of Hindustan Lever Ltd and Business Group President of Unilever's Asian Home & Personal Care (HPC), has been elevated to Unilever's new apex management committee, the Unilever Executive.

He will now be President - Foods, an official statement from HLL said on Thursday.

According to it, the executive team is headed by the new Group Chief Executive (Mr Patrick Cescau) and comprises the President - Foods, President - Home & Personal Care, three Regional Presidents of Europe, Americas and Asia & Africa, the Chief Financial Officer and the Chief Human Resources Officer.

"The executive team replaces the existing executive committee and the divisions," it said.

Mr Banga is the fourth HLL Chairman to be elevated to the topmost Unilever management team after Mr K.B. Dadiseth in 2000, Dr A.S. Ganguly in 1990 and Mr T. Thomas in 1980.

The formation of the new executive is part of significant changes announced by Unilever today, to streamline its management and leadership.

The changes saw the creation of a new single non-executive chairman and a new group chief executive.

Mr Banga will continue as the non-executive Chairman of HLL for now. HLL's current National Management, comprising the Vice-Chairman, Mr M.K. Sharma, Mr D. Sundaram (Director - Finance & IT), Mr Arun Adhikari (Managing Director - HPC) and Mr S. Ravindranath (Managing Director - Foods) also continues unchanged, the statement said.

The National Management Committee has responsibility for HLL's performance and overall co-ordination of the divisional structure and corporate functions.

On his new responsibilities, Mr Banga was quoted as saying, "I feel very privileged at being part of the Unilever Executive, as President - Foods."

Saddled by the dual chairman structure, the new revamped organisation should augur well for the Anglo-Dutch consumer goods company. "Mr Cescau is now expected to push for growth," said an analyst.

Unilever has been facing competitive pressures from Nestle, Kraft Foods and Procter & Gamble Co in many of its segments. The year 2004 was disappointing for Unilever.

Underlying sales growth was 0.4 per cent while total turnover was down 2.1 per cent to euro 42 billion.

"Mr Banga's presence on the management committee coupled with his knowledge of running foods business in this region would help Unilever in driving cost efficiencies,'' an analyst said.

Mr Banga, who joined HLL as a management trainee in 1977, became Chairman of the company in 2000 and Business Group President of Unilever's HPC Asia business in 2004.

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Banga joins Unilever Executive; elevated as President - Foods

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