Mumbai: M S Banga, business group president of Unilever''s Asian Home and Personal Care (HPC) business and non-executive chairman, Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL), has been elevated to Unilever''s new apex management committee called the ''Unilever executive,'' as president, foods. Harish Manwani, who until now headed the North American business of Unilver, also moves to London with Banga as president, Asia and Africa.

The executive, headed by new group chief executive Patrick Cescau, comprises the two presidents – foods (to be headed by Banga) and, home and personal care – three regional presidents looking after Europe, the Americas and, Asia and Africa (which Manwani will head), the chief financial officer and the chief human resources officer. The executive replaces the existing executive committee and the divisions.

The formation of the new ''executive'' is part of the significant changes, announced by Unilever today, to streamline its management and leadership. The changes see the creation of a new single non-executive chairman and a new group chief executive.

Banga is the fourth HLL chairman to be elevated to the topmost Unilever management team after K B Dadiseth (2000), Dr A S Ganguly (1990) and T. Thomas (1980). He will continue as non-executive chairman of HLL for now.

HLL''s current ''national management'' team, comprising M.K. Sharma, vice chairman, D Sundaram, director, finance and IT, Arun Adhikari, managing director, HPC, and S Ravindranath, managing director, foods, also continues unchanged. The national management committee has responsibility for HLL''s performance, and overall coordination of the divisional structure and corporate functions.

On his new responsibilities Banga, who joined HLL as a management trainee in 1977, said, "I feel very privileged at being part of the ''Unilever executive'', as president, foods."

Banga, became chairman of HLL in 2000 and business group president of Unilever''s HPC (Asia) business in 2004. In a career spanning 27 years, he has worked in a variety of assignments in the HPC businesses in India and abroad. From 1993 to 1995, he was Head of HLL''s ''personal products'' business. And from August 1995 to the end of 1998, he was executive director and head of HLL''s ''soaps and detergents'' business.

In December 1998, he moved to the Unilever''s head office in London as senior vice president responsible for the ''hair and oral care'' categories, before being appointed chairman Hindustan Lever in May 2000, and subsequently taking charge of Unilever''s businesses in South Asia.

Manwani, an honours degree graduate in statistics from Bombay University, joined Hindustan Lever as a management trainee after completing his MBA in 1976.

After a two-year secondment with Unilever Export Ltd in the UK, he became divisional vice president of marketing for ''detergents'' in 1994 and joined the board of HLL in 1995 as director responsible for the ''personal products'' business. He was also chairman of the wholly owned subsidiary, Lakme Lever Ltd and director of the joint venture, Kimberly Clark Lever Ltd.

In addition, he held regional responsibility as the category leader for ''personal products'' for the then Central Asia and Middle East (CAME) business group. He was also a member of the ''international category boards'' for ''oral'', ''skin care'' and ''hair'' categories.