Mr Nihal Kaviratne CBE
Chairman
Mr Nihal Kaviratne CBE is the Chairman of the Company with effect from 1 October 2010. He joined the Board of the Company on 30 March 2009.
Born in 1944, Mr Kaviratne holds an Honours degree in Economics from Mumbai University. His global career with Unilever spanned 40 years. He joined them in India as a Management Trainee in 1966, and held a series of senior roles including Head of Marketing Research and Economics, and General Manager of Export Division. In 1984 he moved as Managing Director of the Detergents Division in Indonesia, and later became Regional Leader for Latin America and South Asia at Corporate Headquarters in London, Managing Director in Argentina, and Chairman in Indonesia. He was appointed Senior Vice President – Development and Environmental Affairs, Unilever Asia, based in Singapore, and Chairman of Unilever’s Home and Oral Care businesses in Asia.
He was awarded the CBE for services to UK business interests and for sustainable development in Indonesia. He is a Director of GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals Ltd, DBS Group Holdings Limited and DBS Bank Limited. He is also the Chairman of TVS Indonesia and Director of StarHub Limited - Singapore, Singapore Airport Terminal Services Limited, TVS Motor Company (Europe) BV - The Netherlands, and Wildlife Reserves - Singapore.
Mr Kaviratne is a Founding Member of the Executive of APABIS (Asia Pacific Academy of Business in Society), Founder of St. Jude India ChildCare Centres, and Vice Chairman of the Indian Cancer Society.