SOME companies have chosen to make changes as we emerge out of the pandemic and that’s what’s happened at Unilever plc, where Nitin Paranjpe’s role has expanded.

In January 2022, it was announced that he was being appointed chief operating officer, chief transformation office and chief people officer. Prior to this he just had the title of chief operating officer. He will take up his expanded roles in April 2022.

Humorously, the colloquial expression – he’s a big cheez might come to mind.

As Unilever announced his role expansion, it also said it was shedding 1,500 management positions in shake-up globally. Paranjpe now heads up the human resources function for Unilever. Alan Jope, CEO, also announced the company was changing its structure and would be organised around five distinct business categories: Beauty & Wellbeing; Personal Care; Home Care; Nutrition and Ice Cream. Among the brands Unilever has today are Axe, Dove, Lux, Cif, Hellmann’s, Wall’s, Magnum and The Vegetarian Butcher, to name just a few.

Towards the end of 2020, Paranjpe took time out to speak to the GG2 Power List. Much of our interview at the time was dominated by Covid and Paranjpe and Unilever had special cause to remember it as he told us.

He knows Mattia Maestri – a Unilever manager, who was identified as Italy’s first official Covid patient No 1 Maestri, who was 38 last year, made a full recovery but only after being treated in intensive care for three weeks and then spending months in rehabilitation before being let home. “He was in a coma for a long time,” describes Paranjpe on a Zoom call from his London home. “It was very, very serious but thankfully, by God’s grace, and the effort and care of everyone, he came through it and is well. “It’s