HUL's Shiva Krishnamurthy Joins General Mills as CEO
Shiva Krishnamurthy, formerly in the position of Executive Director for Foods & Refreshment at Hindustan Unilever (HUL), has been designated as the Chief Executive Officer at General Mills. In his new capacity, Krishnamurthy will be reporting to Balki Radhakrishnan, who holds the title of Vice President and Managing Director of Global Emerging Markets.
Krishnamurthy joined Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) in the year 2000, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience in the fields of marketing and general management.
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In a note announcing the move, Krishnamurthy said he was “delighted to join the General Mills mission of ‘Making food the world loves’,” highlighting the company’s iconic brands, advanced food science capabilities, and strong talent base. “Powered by a culture that fosters learning, growing and belonging, we are well placed to address the India opportunity. I look forward to building on the foundation laid by my predecessors,” he added.
Reflecting on his journey at HUL, Krishnamurthy described the company as his “professional alma mater,” often referred to as *“The CEO Factory.” He thanked several leaders, including Sanjiv Mehta, Sudhir Sitapati, Hanneke Faber, and the late Anil Gopalan, for shaping his leadership journey.
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Commenting on the appointment, Radhakrishnan states, “Shiva’s consumer-first approach and people-centric leadership are a perfect fit for our vision in India, aligning seamlessly with General Mills' core values of putting consumers at the heart of everything we do and cultivating exceptional talent”.
Throughout his time with the company, he successfully managed well-known brands like Lifebuoy and Lux in the Skin Cleansing segment in India, spearheaded new Rin (Radiant) products for Home Care in Southeast Asia, and oversaw the tea business in South Asia starting in 2015. Additionally, he held the position of Vice President for Foods & Beverages at Unilever South Asia.
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Over the course of the last ten years, under his guidance, HUL has become the dominant force in the Indian tea market. Krishnamurthy, a graduate of XLRI Jamshedpur, started his professional journey with a short tenure at PepsiCo before transitioning to HUL as an Area Sales Manager in the Customer Development sector.