The year 2025 has emerged as a period of unprecedented leadership turnover within India's consumer goods and retail sector. A series of high-profile exits and appointments have marked a significant shift in corporate strategy, driven by intense competition and the rapid digitalization of the market.
A Wave of Leadership Changes
From Hindustan Unilever (HUL) unexpectedly replacing CEO Rohit Jawa to the sudden resignation of Britannia's vice-chairman, MD & CEO Varun Berry, the top decks of major companies have been reshuffled at a remarkable pace. According to analysts at the executive search firm Longhouse, the rate of this rejigging in 2025 has been substantially higher compared to the past few years.
While some moves, like at Nestle India, followed a natural progression after retirements, most changes are strategic. Companies are aggressively seeking faster growth in an Indian market where digital-first brands are upending traditional business models. For instance, HUL handed the CEO role to Priya Nair, a homegrown Unilever president with deep expertise in the critical beauty and wellbeing category.
Similarly, L'Oreal appointed internal candidate Jacques Lebel as India country manager, replacing Aseem Kaushik. In apparel, Arvind Fashions saw Shailesh Chaturvedi retire early, making way for successor Amisha Jain.
The Driving Forces Behind the Churn
Sonal Bahl, a partner at Positive Moves, explained the trend, stating that the surge in CEO churn mirrors the drastic change in India's operating environment. "This is no longer a straightforward high-growth market - it's become far more complex and competitive," Bahl said. She highlighted that double-digit growth has slowed to low single-digits, margins face constant pressure, and omni-channel disruptions have added layers of complexity, leading boards to reassess leadership more frequently.
The Rise of the Tech-Savvy CEO
A clear trend emerging from these appointments is the hunt for digitally savvy leaders. As product discovery shifts online and consumers embrace quick-commerce platforms, companies are prioritizing digital expertise at the helm.
This shift is evident in key appointments:
- Nestle India's new chairman & MD, Manish Tiwary, joined from Amazon, bringing a blend of FMCG legacy and e-commerce experience.
- Reliance Retail Ventures, preparing for a potential IPO, created a new CEO position for Jeyandran Venugopal, formerly of Flipkart, with a mandate to accelerate omni-channel growth.
- Arvind Fashions explicitly linked the appointment of Amisha Jain to its strategic focus on digital transformation and brand equity.
Rohit Srivastava, senior partner at Longhouse, noted that traditional firms are now prioritizing financial efficiency and appointing digital-first leaders to boost digital revenue contributions. Boards have grown impatient with long learning curves and are intervening quicker when execution gaps appear.
Echoing this, Mala Chawla, MD for India & Singapore at Stanton Chase, concluded that the churn in retail and FMCG was strategic, not reactive. "Companies were not just filling roles, they were redesigning leadership for a digital future," she said.
