Shailesh Jejurikar has ‘always made an effort to stay close to his roots.’
IMAGE: Shailesh Jejurikar, President and CEO, P&G. Photograph: Kind courtesy T6784/wikipedia.org/Creative Commons
India loves its Bollywood stars and cricket heroes, and so does Shailesh Jejurikar, who has just been named president and CEO of global consumer giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) — the maker of brands such as Ariel, Pantene, Tide and others.
The first Indian to hold the top job at the 187-year-old American multinational, Jejurikar, 58, will take over the reins from Jon Moeller, who will become executive chairman in January 2026.
After Moeller being at the helm for four years, it’s Jejurikar’s turn now to step into the spotlight.
Some are calling it a “blockbuster moment” for Jejurikar, who had joined P&G way back in 1989.
‘I am honoured to serve as P&G’s CEO,’ Jejurikar, who is currently chief operating officer, said in a company statement.
‘P&G people, our brands, and our capabilities in innovation and operational excellence fuel my confidence for a future of sustained growth and value creation.’
As the news broke, there was celebration at his family home in Mumbai.
A tight-knit celebration is being planned for Jejurikar’s next visit to India, expected in the coming weeks.
Jejurikar’s India connection is deeply personal and proudly maintained.
He visits the country regularly — at least thrice a year — often for family holidays, sometimes for business, but always with a sense of rootedness.
“Only last weekend he was in India, transiting to the US from another Asian country,” says Rajesh Jejurikar, his brother and executive director and CEO of the auto and farm sectors at Mahindra & Mahindra.
The brothers grew up crisscrossing the country due to their father’s job with ICI Paints (now part of AkzoNobel).
“We have lived in Hyderabad, Mumbai, and used to visit our father in Kolkata and Jharkhand during vacations,” Rajesh recalls.
“We were both average students and studied at the same college in Mumbai, three years apart.” That college was Elphinstone in Mumbai.
The brothers even lived in the same hostel before heading off for their MBAs — Shailesh Jejurikar to IIM Lucknow, and Rajesh to the SP Jain Institute of Management.
“Shailesh is big into Bollywood movies,” Rajesh adds.
“He’s always made an effort to stay close to his roots.”
At home, their mother, still active and energetic in her mid-80s, is bursting with pride.
“She follows the news closely and is overjoyed, of course,” Rajesh says. “We lost our father in 2021.”
From humble beginnings as an assistant brand manager in Mumbai, working on personal care staples like Vicks, Jejurikar has carved out a formidable career arc at P&G.
Within a decade, he had risen to marketing director for P&G India.
The company’s statement spotlighted Jejurikar’s 36-year career, which has seen him rise through the ranks with a track record of leadership and success.
For the last 12 years, he has been a key part of the company’s top team.
‘Throughout his career, Shailesh has continued to have ties with P&G India,’ the company noted.
From his time as CEO of the global fabric and home care division — P&G’s largest business — to his most recent role as COO, Jejurikar has had profit and loss responsibility for the company’s enterprise markets (Latin America, India, Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe).
He also oversees global operations such as IT, sales, purchasing, manufacturing, and distribution.
Gurcharan Das, who was CEO of P&G India when Jejurikar first joined, remembers the early days — just about.
“He joined as an assistant brand manager when I was CEO,” Das says.
“We had an active recruiting programme, but to be honest, I don’t remember him well. I didn’t have much interaction with him.”
Still, Das is thrilled with the news.
“All I can say is how proud we all are. Not just those of us from P&G India, but all Indians…
“It’s also a very good recognition for the programme that I helped to create — which was to send young people from P&G India overseas for training, development, and running businesses.”
P&G, Das added, has long believed in developing talent from within, rarely hiring mid-career executives from outside.
“They put a high premium on nurturing people.”
Jejurikar’s global resume speaks volumes.
He has helmed businesses across North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and led multiple P&G divisions — from health and beauty to home care, professional cleaning to fabric care.
He was earlier the CEO of P&G’s fabric and home care business, which includes iconic brands like Tide, Ariel, Downy, Febreze, and Swiffer, accounting for a third of the company’s revenue and earnings.
‘He is known for his ability to identify growth possibilities by meeting the needs of consumers in new, better, and more complete ways,’ the company said in the note on Jejurikar.
From 2016 to 2021, Jejurikar also served as the company’s global sustainability champion, integrating green goals into daily business practices and driving positive environmental and social impact while boosting value for the company and its stakeholders.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
