Unilever has appointed Sunanda Khaitan as chief marketing officer for the Beauty & Wellbeing portfolio at Hindustan Unilever (HUL), strengthening its senior leadership team for one of its largest consumer categories.
Khaitan assumed the role in January 2026 and will be based in Mumbai, the company said.
Two decades of experience within Unilever
Khaitan brings more than 19 years of experience at Unilever, having worked across sales, brand management and leadership roles in India as well as international markets.
Most recently, she served as vice president and business head of Lakmē, where she was responsible for driving brand strategy and overseeing business operations for the flagship beauty brand.
Global leadership across haircare and skincare
Before leading Lakmē, Khaitan held several global leadership positions within Unilever’s haircare and skincare portfolios. These included roles as global brand director for haircare and for Fair & Lovely and Citra.
She has also handled regional brand management responsibilities for Pond’s in South Asia and occupied senior brand leadership roles across Lakmē and Pond’s earlier in her career.
Career rooted in sales and brand building
Khaitan began her professional journey in sales and customer excellence functions at Unilever before transitioning into brand-building and category leadership assignments.
Prior to joining Unilever, she worked at Dabur India in sales roles, gaining early exposure to India’s fast-moving consumer goods market.
Mandate to drive Beauty & Wellbeing growth
In her new role, Khaitan will lead marketing strategy for HUL’s Beauty & Wellbeing portfolio, which includes a wide range of personal care and beauty brands operating across both mass and premium segments.
The portfolio is a key growth engine for HUL, spanning categories such as skincare, haircare and beauty products in an increasingly competitive consumer landscape.
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