Colgate-Palmolive India has named Akash Parekh as its new Executive Vice President, Marketing. The board-approved appointment takes effect on December 1, 2026. Parekh, a nearly two-decade Colgate veteran, steps into the role as Gunjit Jain exits after more than 18 years with the company.
Parekh is currently Senior Director, Marketing for Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong. He has held that role since May 2024. His elevation brings him back to India, where his Colgate journey began in a consumer insights role in 2008 before he moved into brand management.
A career built across markets
Parekh’s path is a study in cross-functional and cross-geography movement. He has worked across Mumbai, New York, Hong Kong and Manila. Before his current APAC role, he was Associate Director, Global Marketing in New York from March 2021 to June 2024, and Head of Toothpaste Marketing in Mumbai from January 2019 to March 2021.
The rest of his Colgate track record includes a Marketing Manager role from July 2015 to December 2018, a short-term assignment in Manila from February to June 2015, and earlier brand roles from 2010 onward. Before Colgate, he was Manager, RMS at The Nielsen Company from 2006 to 2008.
- Consumer insights: where he began at Colgate in 2008.
- Brand management: Brand Manager, Innovation (2010-11), Brand Manager (2011-13), Senior Brand Manager (2013-Jan 2015).
- Category and market leadership: Marketing Manager (2015-18), Head of Toothpaste Marketing (2019-21), Global Marketing in New York (2021-24).
- Regional leadership: Senior Director, Marketing, APAC (since May 2024).
Parekh holds an MBA in marketing from Mumbai Educational Trust and has completed the Global Leadership Development Program at Stanford University. The combination of formal training and frontline brand experience makes him a known quantity inside the company.
Why this matters for marketers
This is not just another leadership change. It shows what a modern FMCG marketing career can look like. Parekh moved from data and insights to brand management, then took global and regional roles, and is now returning to run a large country marketing function. For junior and mid-career marketers, the signal is clear: overseas exposure and category depth still carry weight when boards pick a marketing chief.
For Colgate-Palmolive India, the promotion points to continuity. Instead of hiring an outsider, the company chose someone who knows the global playbook and understands the local market. That can shorten the learning curve, but it also raises expectations for fresh thinking after so many years inside one organisation.
Leadership transitions at this level are also a reminder that senior marketing roles in large consumer companies are increasingly evaluated on general management skills, not just creative judgment. Parekh’s blend of insights, innovation, brand management and regional exposure fits the profile of a leader who can talk to finance, supply chain and media partners equally fluently.
What to watch next
Marketing leaders, agencies and martech vendors should treat the first few months after December 1 as a reset window. A new marketing chief often reviews brand priorities, creative partners and martech spending. Keep an eye on whether Parekh doubles down on existing platforms or pushes new campaigns and innovation bets.
Source: Indian Advertising Media & Marketing News – exchange4media
