LONDON – Unilever has made its growth ambitions clear, naming a top Amazon executive, Sunny Jain, to the coveted post of president, Beauty and Personal Care. Jain, who takes over chief executive officer Alan Jope’s former role, will also become a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive.
At Amazon, Jain was head of the Core Consumables business unit, responsible for health and personal care, beauty and grooming, luxury beauty, grocery/food, baby, private brands, the Pillpack subsidiary, and other innovation teams.
He joined Amazon in 2013 from Procter & Gamble, where he spent more than 16 years working in new business creation, marketing, sales, and information technology. Jain will join Unilever in June 2019 and report to Jope.
Jope called Jain’s background “unique” in that it combines, consumer goods, online retail and an understanding of the beauty market. “It makes him exceptionally well suited to help us deliver our growth ambitions for our Beauty & Personal Care division,” said Jope.
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Jain said the transformation of Unilever’s portfolio, “and its move into high growth spaces such as prestige and e-commerce, make it well positioned for future success. I look forward to bringing my varied experience of the industry and deep passion for serving consumers.”
Jain is originally from Canada and holds an MBA in finance and a Bachelor’s Degree in engineering physics and management (B. Eng. Mgt.), graduating Summa Cum Laude from McMaster University in Canada.
Unilever had been hunting for Jope’s replacement since late last year, when the latter was named ceo, taking over from Paul Polman at the publicly-quoted company which sells in more than 190 countries and generated revenues of 51 billion euros in 2018.
Some 60 percent of the company’s footprint is in developing and emerging markets. Its top brands including Dove, Knorr, Dirt Is Good, Rexona, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Wall’s, Lux, Magnum, Axe, Sunsilk and Surf.