Gunjit Jain, Executive Vice President, Marketing at Colgate-Palmolive (India), will step down effective November 30, 2026, after more than 18 years with the company. The move was disclosed in a regulatory filing, which said Jain is leaving to pursue a professional opportunity outside the organisation.
Akash Parekh, currently Senior Director, Marketing, Asia Pacific, has been appointed to succeed him from December 1, 2026. The company’s board approved the appointment.
From management trainee to marketing chief
Jain joined Colgate-Palmolive in June 2008 as a management trainee in India. Over 18 years, he moved through sales, retail marketing and brand management. Between 2011 and 2014, he was Senior Brand Manager, Oral Care, handling the toothbrush portfolio, before taking on regional marketing roles across Southeast Asia.
He later led home care and personal care responsibilities in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, overseeing brand strategy, innovation and commercial execution. In 2018, Jain moved to the global marketing team in New York as Associate Director, Global Marketing Oral Care, where his work included the global relaunch of Colgate Total and international expansion plans for Tom’s of Maine and Hello.
He returned to lead India marketing in February 2023, with a remit covering business strategy, commercial planning, demand generation and marketing operations. His team spanned more than 200 professionals across marketing and professional B2B functions.
“I am extremely grateful to the Company for an incredible tenure of over 18 years,” Jain wrote in his resignation letter, thanking the Board and leadership team. His next role has not been disclosed.
Who is taking over
Parekh joined Colgate-Palmolive in 2009 and brings nearly 20 years of experience in consumer marketing, brand strategy, commercial execution and market expansion. He has held roles across India, North America and Asia Pacific, and currently leads regional marketing strategies for APAC. Before joining the company, he began his career at Nielsen in 2006.
What a brand-side leadership change can shift
Leadership transitions at large consumer brands are never just internal news. A new marketing head can reshape campaign direction, media priorities and agency relationships. For Colgate-Palmolive India, the handover arrives after a period focused on premiumisation, brand building and growth in e-commerce and quick commerce.
The internal succession cuts transition risk: Parekh already knows the company’s portfolio, regional playbooks and brand systems. At the same time, his experience across North America and APAC may bring fresh perspectives to India’s online and quick-commerce expansion.
For agencies, martech vendors and media partners, this is a practical moment to update account maps and understand the new leader’s priorities before annual planning conversations begin.
- Jain exits after 18-plus years; he had led India marketing since February 2023.
- Parekh takes charge December 1 after leading APAC marketing strategy.
- The transition is internal, lowering the immediate risk of strategic disruption.
The next few months will reveal whether the premiumisation and quick-commerce agenda continues at the same pace, and whether any campaign or agency moves follow early in 2027.
Source: Indian Advertising Media & Marketing News – exchange4media
