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Sanjiv Mehta, CEO designate at Hindustan Unilever, is a reticent man.
Always keen to evaluate risks, Mehta is known to have a firm back up plan in his arsenal at all times.
He learnt it the hard way, especially at his first career stint at Union Carbide in 1983. Mehta was part of the crisis management team after the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984.
It was at this job that Mehta learnt that safety is of paramount importance, and till date, has been known to start most meetings by reviewing the safety agenda.
His performance in handling the crisis led to a promotion to head of finance of the company’s plastics division.
During his tenure at Unilever Bangladesh, his company was one of Unilever’s fastest growing businesses. With its high growth trajectory and profitable business, Mehta ensured that the company became a market leader.
MULTI-LOCAL
Mehta is known to have honed his style over many years. He has held top posts in different regions - South Asia, South-East Asia, West Asia and North Africa.
His colleagues say Mehta, who joined Unilever 18 years ago, has always insisted on bringing the local flavour to the conglomerate's many household brands, such as Knorr, Dove, Lux, Ponds, Axe and Sunsilk.
They add that Mehta is known to invite consumers into the Unilever offices, either put them in a kitchen or other household environment and observe how they go about their everyday routine.
He has also been known to spend a lot of time with consumers in their homes to know more about the brands they use and their habits.
For Mehta, who hails from a middle-class Mumbai family, coming back to head Hindustan Unilever, with its headquarters in suburban Mumbai, is a home-coming of sorts.
According to some of the people who worked with him, Mehta used to talk about going back to India and contributing to society.
Since his father, S.P. Mehta, worked in the accounts section of the RBI, Mehta decided to become a chartered accountant. He then went on to do an Advance Management Programme at the Harvard Business School.
Mehta is married to Mona, a chartered accountant, was a corporate banker with HSBC, before they shifted to Bangladesh.
They have twin daughters Naina and Roshni, who are studying pursuing their education at MIT and Cornell University, in the US.
amritanair.ghaswalla@thehindu.co.in
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