HUL’s Shiva Krishnamurthy moves to General Mills as India CEO

MUMBAI: General Mills has tapped Shiva Krishnamurthy as chief executive officer for India, roping in a seasoned FMCG operator from Hindustan Unilever as it sharpens its focus on the world’s fastest-growing food market.

Krishnamurthy, most recently executive director, foods & refreshment at HUL, will report to Balki Radhakrishnan, vice-president and managing director, global emerging markets. The appointment hands General Mills a leader with more than two decades of experience across marketing, brand-building and general management.

Announcing the move, Krishnamurthy said he was “delighted to join the General Mills mission of making food the world loves”, pointing to the company’s iconic brands, food science capabilities and talent depth. He said the business was well placed to capture the India opportunity and that he looked forward to building on the groundwork laid by earlier leaders.

Looking back at his HUL stint, Krishnamurthy called the company his “professional alma mater”, often dubbed the “CEO factory”. He credited former and current leaders, including Sanjiv Mehta, Sudhir Sitapati, Hanneke Faber and the late Anil Gopalan, for shaping his leadership journey.

Radhakrishnan said Krishnamurthy’s consumer-first mindset and people-centric leadership aligned closely with General Mills’ India ambitions and values. “He brings the right blend of brand acumen and talent leadership for our next phase of growth,” he said.

Krishnamurthy joined HUL in 2000 and held a series of senior roles across India and South-east Asia. He led marquee brands such as Lifebuoy and Lux in skin cleansing, drove Rin innovation in home care, and headed Unilever’s South Asia tea business from 2015. Over the past decade, HUL consolidated its position as the market leader in tea under his watch.

An alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur, Krishnamurthy began his career with a short stint at PepsiCo before joining HUL as an area sales manager.

For General Mills, the hire signals intent. For HUL, it marks another senior exit from its deep leadership bench. For India’s packaged food market, the heat just got turned up.