Zaved Akhtar appointed as new chairman of Unilever Bangladesh

Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL), the country's leading Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) company, has appointed Zaved Akhtar as the new chairman of the Board of Directors. 

The appointment has been effective from 28 August, reads a press release.

He has been unanimously elected as the chairman of the Board of Directors of Unilever Bangladesh Limited. 

The decision came at the 194th meeting of the Board of Directors held on 27 August. 

Zaved, who is the current CEO and managing director of the company, will succeed Kedar Lele, who has served as chairman of UBL since 2020. Zaved will continue to lead the Bangladesh business as managing director while assuming his new role as chairman of the six-decade old company. He will also be a member of the Unilever South Asia Leadership Team.

On this occasion, Rohit Jawa, president, Unilever, South Asia and chief executive officer and managing director, Hindustan Unilever Limited said, "I would like to thank Zaved for his outstanding leadership of our Bangladesh business. His efforts towards strengthening business outcomes through superior brands for our consumers, and at the same time, driving Unilever's Compass Commitments, are indeed commendable.

"I am delighted to welcome Zaved to the Unilever South Asia Leadership Team as the new Chairman of Unilever Bangladesh. I am confident that under his leadership, Unilever Bangladesh will grow stronger and continue to partner the country in its growth journey." 

Zaved Akhtar joined Unilever Bangladesh in 2000 and in his career spanning over two decades, has worked in different roles in local, regional, and international capacities where he has shown exemplary business acumen, consumer centricity and leadership capabilities. 

A career marketer, Zaved has worked on multiple innovation, communication and capability programmes that have garnered global recognition. He has also led successful change management programs, where he has rewired business leveraging cutting edge technology and digitization. After successful multiple international assignments, Zaved was appointed as the CEO and Managing Director of Unilever Bangladesh in 2021. He continued to strengthen Unilever Bangladesh's growth journey with his mission to deliver superior business performance through Unilever's purpose-driven business strategy. 

Zaved has been championing UBL's vision for ensuring a Plastic Waste-free Bangladesh. During his tenure, the company also continued accelerating its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion agenda making the top team gender balanced. As a leader, he focused more on actively reaching out to consumers, customers, stakeholders, and employees of all levels. 

Zaved is a graduate from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), University of Dhaka. He has also been trained in IIM Ahmedabad, India and INSEAD, Singapore.