The talent of a man doesn't remain confined to one area but branches off in diverse fields, thereby finding expression in things he touches. And Harish Manwani, Non-Executive Chairman, HLL, is one such individual whose talent has shown in all areas of work he has put his fingers on.

In fact, in the Indian corporate fraternity, Manwani is one name that has credibly donned different hats over a career that spans over three decades. Currently, Non-Executive Chairman of Hindustan Lever Limited and President - Asia, Africa of Unilever, Harish Manwani has tasted success in every business domain.

An illustrious alumnus in statistics and economics from the Mumbai University, followed by a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the same university, Manwani joined HLL in 1976. He managed several sales and marketing assignments through the years in different capacities, and rose to become Divisional Vice President - Marketing in charge of detergents in 1994.

It was in 1995 that Manwani was appointed to the HLL Board, responsible for the personal products business. Simultaneously, Manwani was also put in charge of a regional responsibility as the Category Leader for personal products for the then Central Asia and Middle East (CAME) Business Group. And even as his business profile within the organisation crossed borders, Manwani continued to script new success stories for HLL.

Subsequently in 2000, the HLL Board decided to move Manwani to a larger responsibility in the United Kingdom as Senior Vice President for the Global Hair Care and Oral Care Categories. In early 2001, he was appointed President of the Home & Personal Care (HPC) - Latin America Business Group. He also served as Chairman of Unilever's Latin America Advisory Council.

Three years later, in 2004, Manwani was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the HPC - North America Business Group. In 2005, he was elevated to the Unilever Executive as President - Asia & Africa.

At HLL, Manwani took charge from M.S. Banga, who opted out of a re-election as a non-executive director of the company in 2005. Banga, who now is the worldwide President, Foods of Unilever, is based in London. Both Manwani and Banga are part of an eight-person executive team that has been running Unilever since February 2005.

A man bubbling with fresh ideas, Manwani attended the Advanced Management Programme (AMP) at Harvard Business School and is currently a member of the Executive Board of the Indian School of Business. Known for his down-to-earth approach, Manwani, in his leisure time prefers to spend time with his family - his wife and two daughters. He enjoys an occasional game of golf and bridge too, but his abiding passion remains in achieving newer heights of professional excellence.