'My true North Star, my beacon of strength.' Sanjiv Mehta logs out of HUL, thanks retired directors for guiding him

The more than three-decade-long association with Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is beyond special for outgoing CEO and Managing Director Sanjiv Mehta.

A day before his final HUL AGM on Monday, the corporate honcho penned an emotional note for his Unilever family. He took to LinkedIn to share with his 7.5 lakh followers a glimpse of the 'Retired Directors Meet'.

In his note, Mehta said that he felt honoured and privileged to continue this annual tradition for a decade. For the last time as the HUL CEO, he said he welcomed the retired directors to celebrate the company's progress.

While leading the FMCG brand has been a "challenging external environment," the top boss - who is in his early 60s - said that the panel of retired directors has been his "true North Star" and "beacon of strength."

Mehta credited the retired directors for guiding him in shaping his HUL journey. He also said that he was grateful to them for their unwavering support.

"Values, purpose, and traditions from over the years are a part of our rich legacy that we proudly uphold. One such heartwarming and unique tradition is our annual 'Retired Directors Meet', an event I have had the honour and privilege of continuing during the last decade. For the 10th and final time in my tenure with Hindustan Unilever Limited, I welcomed our retired directors to our office yesterday to celebrate and share our progress with them. Over the years, as I led HUL in quite a challenging external environment, our retired directors have been my true North Star, my beacon of strength and stability and a reservoir of knowledge and experience that I have so often turned to. Their guidance has been instrumental in shaping my HUL journey, and I will forever be grateful to each of them for their unwavering support."

Earlier in March, Mehta called his 31-year association with the Anglo-Dutch FMCG major the "most exhilarating ride" and an "honour of a lifetime".

HUL announced the appointment of Rohit Jawa, presently the Chief of Transformation for Unilever, as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer to succeed Mehta.

Mehta has led Unilever in markets such as Bangladesh, Philippines, and NAME (North Africa and Middle East) before joining HUL in October 2013 as CEO and MD. Later in July 2018, he became Chairman & Managing Director of HUL.

Though Mehta has not shared his plan after retirement, he said he is "excitedly looking forward" to his next innings.

While quoting Robert Frost's famous lines "Miles to go before I sleep", Mehta said he will meet many of his team members in different locations to thank them and give them a big hug.