Three cheers & three chairs: P&G veteran Shailesh Jejurikar to add chairman's role

Mumbai: Procter & Gamble has appointed Shailesh Jejurikar as chairman of its board, months after he became the first Indian-origin president and chief executive at the world's largest consumer goods company. He will assume the additional role from August, the Cincinnati-based maker of Tide detergent, Pampers and Gillette said on Wednesday.

The leadership transition comes at a time when the company is battling slowing demand, tariffs and a sweeping restructuring. Executive chairman Jon Moeller will retire from the board on July 31 and leave the firm on August 14, ending a 38-year career that included stints as CEO, chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

"I want to thank Jon for his many years of tireless and steady leadership at P&G," Jejurikar said in a statement, adding that Moeller's strategic vision helped shape the company and its culture.

Jejurikar joins an expanding list of Indian-origin leaders heading foreign companies, including Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Arvind Krishna, Shantanu Narayen and Leena Nair.

Also Read: P&G India flags pressure on consumer demand, input costs

The appointment makes Jejurikar the first person to hold both the CEO and chairman's roles since Moeller stepped down as chief executive. It also caps a generational leadership change at a company widely regarded as a bellwether for the global consumer goods industry.

Global businesses

Jejurikar, 58, became the first Asian chief executive in P&G’s 187-year history when he assumed the top job with effect from January 1. An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, he joined P&G in India in 1989 as an assistant brand manager and has spent nearly four decades with the company.

During his career, he has led businesses across North America, Europe, Asia and South America, helping build P&G’s global fabric care and home care divisions while also overseeing supply chain, information technology and global business services. His elevation comes at a challenging time for the consumer goods sector. P&G has warned of weak demand across the US, Europe and China, scaled down its annual earnings outlook after tariff-related disruptions and announced plans to eliminate about 7,000 jobs over two years as part of a broader restructuring that includes supply-chain changes and exits from select brands and markets.

India has become an increasingly important market and talent hub for P&G. The country is among the company’s top 10 markets, with annual sales exceeding $2 billion, while more than 350 Indian executives hold global roles across the organisation.