Rohit Jawa, the former CEO and managing director of Hindustan Unilever, has joined the Operating Advisor Network of venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners, according to reports from the firm. Jawa will work with Bessemer's portfolio companies on market entry and growth, business transformation, brand building, go-to-market strategy and building leadership teams across complex, multi-geography organisations. This strategic appointment brings a senior consumer-business operator into Bessemer's venture ecosystem, which has backed numerous consumer and technology companies.
Jawa spent nearly four decades at Unilever, most recently as president of Unilever South Asia and CEO and managing director of HUL. In this role, he led a business of approximately $7 billion through a portfolio, channel and organisational transformation aimed at strengthening its competitiveness and positioning it for its next phase of growth. His tenure included holding several senior leadership positions across Unilever's global operations, including in India, China, the Philippines, Singapore and the UK. As executive vice president for North Asia and chairman of Unilever China, he helped build China into one of the consumer giant's key global markets, establishing it as one of Unilever's most important global markets. As chairman and CEO of Unilever Philippines, he led a widely recognized business transformation and growth programme.
Before returning to India, Jawa was Unilever's global chief of transformation, where he helped design and deploy one of the company's largest organisational redesigns, including changes to P&L accountability and operating structures across its global operations. He also served as chairman and CEO of Unilever Philippines, where he led a business transformation and growth programme. Jawa was also a member of Unilever's Global Executive Committee from 2023 to 2025.
Jawa's move into Bessemer's advisor network brings a senior consumer-business operator into a venture ecosystem that has backed consumer brands such as Boldfit and Aman Gupta's Offbeat Studios. For Bessemer's portfolio founders, Jawa's experience offers a playbook from one of India's largest consumer businesses at a time when startups are increasingly looking beyond product-market fit towards distribution, brand building, organisational scale and profitable growth. His appointment was announced through a LinkedIn post by Bessemer, highlighting his expertise in market entry, business transformation, brand building, go-to-market excellence and leadership development across complex, multi-geography organisations.
