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A CEO's Brew Stirred with Passion, Purpose and Humbition: My Unilever Journey to Creating Over $60 Billion Value | Leadership Lessons from Former HUL Chairman Sanjiv Mehta
How do you create $60 billion in value while staying anchored in purpose?
Sanjiv Mehta’s twenty-one-year odyssey as CEO of Unilever businesses across several countries provides the answer. From leading markets in Bangladesh, the Philippines, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia to steering Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) through a transformative decade, Sanjiv has mastered the art of balancing legacy with innovation.
A CEO’s Brew is more than a corporate memoir; it is a distillation of a leadership style he calls ‘Humbition’. Whether navigating volatile markets, fighting competitive battles or scaling HUL into one of the world’s most admired consumer goods businesses, Sanjiv’s journey offers practical wisdom for the next generation of entrepreneurs, leaders and seasoned executives. Stirred with passion and served with grit, this is the story of a leader who transformed some of the world’s most complex markets into a global gold standard for sustainable and values-led growth
Sanjiv Mehta’s twenty-one-year odyssey as CEO of Unilever businesses across several countries provides the answer. From leading markets in Bangladesh, the Philippines, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia to steering Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) through a transformative decade, Sanjiv has mastered the art of balancing legacy with innovation.
A CEO’s Brew is more than a corporate memoir; it is a distillation of a leadership style he calls ‘Humbition’. Whether navigating volatile markets, fighting competitive battles or scaling HUL into one of the world’s most admired consumer goods businesses, Sanjiv’s journey offers practical wisdom for the next generation of entrepreneurs, leaders and seasoned executives. Stirred with passion and served with grit, this is the story of a leader who transformed some of the world’s most complex markets into a global gold standard for sustainable and values-led growth
- GenresBusiness
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 5, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 26, 2026
Memoir on the life and times of Sanjiv at HUL
Book is a memoir on the life and times of Sanjiv in various roles and capacities at HUL.
It gives a picture on the intricacies of the corporate world and an overview of the business.
A must read for business professionals and career oriented people.
Book is a memoir on the life and times of Sanjiv in various roles and capacities at HUL.
It gives a picture on the intricacies of the corporate world and an overview of the business.
A must read for business professionals and career oriented people.
June 15, 2026
CEO's Brew is packed with insights, anecdotes, and rare glimpses into how the leadership of a billion-dollar enterprise arrives at strategy, translates that strategy into execution, and hires the right people to make it happen.
Sanjiv Mehta is a Unilever man through and through, and the book often reads like a 300-page advertisement for the company. Yet that is not necessarily a criticism. In many ways, it does more to build Unilever's employer brand and aspirational value among management candidates than any recruitment campaign could.
What makes the book particularly engaging is its storytelling. Anecdotes such as the launch of Clear shampoo in the Philippines are narrated in considerable detail without ever feeling like a management textbook. Throughout the book, Mehta documents how large organizations operate, make decisions, and execute at scale. Many of these stories are genuinely inspiring and offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a global consumer goods company.
At times, the book leans into philosophy and leadership reflections, but it remains firmly grounded in practical examples and execution details. That balance keeps it engaging and prevents it from drifting into abstract management jargon.
As someone who has largely been indifferent to FMCG brands—usually buying whatever is available, familiar, or simply part of long-standing habits—I had never fully appreciated just how deeply Unilever products are woven into our everyday lives. The book made me realize the immense machinery operating behind seemingly ordinary products.
It also left me with a newfound appreciation for the scale of quality assurance required to deliver consistent consumer experiences. From manufacturing plants and supply chains to distribution networks and retail shelves, every step must function flawlessly. Most of us take this reliability for granted. When we pick up a familiar FMCG product, we expect it to meet our expectations every single time—and it usually does. The book explains in detail the discipline, systems, and relentless attention to detail that make such consistency possible.
Overall, CEO's Brew is an excellent read for anyone interested in management, leadership, and how large organizations sustain success over long periods of time. Rather than relying on boardroom buzzwords or drowning the reader in corporate jargon and metrics, Mehta explains complex business concepts through relatable stories and real-world experiences, making the lessons both accessible and memorable.
Sanjiv Mehta is a Unilever man through and through, and the book often reads like a 300-page advertisement for the company. Yet that is not necessarily a criticism. In many ways, it does more to build Unilever's employer brand and aspirational value among management candidates than any recruitment campaign could.
What makes the book particularly engaging is its storytelling. Anecdotes such as the launch of Clear shampoo in the Philippines are narrated in considerable detail without ever feeling like a management textbook. Throughout the book, Mehta documents how large organizations operate, make decisions, and execute at scale. Many of these stories are genuinely inspiring and offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of a global consumer goods company.
At times, the book leans into philosophy and leadership reflections, but it remains firmly grounded in practical examples and execution details. That balance keeps it engaging and prevents it from drifting into abstract management jargon.
As someone who has largely been indifferent to FMCG brands—usually buying whatever is available, familiar, or simply part of long-standing habits—I had never fully appreciated just how deeply Unilever products are woven into our everyday lives. The book made me realize the immense machinery operating behind seemingly ordinary products.
It also left me with a newfound appreciation for the scale of quality assurance required to deliver consistent consumer experiences. From manufacturing plants and supply chains to distribution networks and retail shelves, every step must function flawlessly. Most of us take this reliability for granted. When we pick up a familiar FMCG product, we expect it to meet our expectations every single time—and it usually does. The book explains in detail the discipline, systems, and relentless attention to detail that make such consistency possible.
Overall, CEO's Brew is an excellent read for anyone interested in management, leadership, and how large organizations sustain success over long periods of time. Rather than relying on boardroom buzzwords or drowning the reader in corporate jargon and metrics, Mehta explains complex business concepts through relatable stories and real-world experiences, making the lessons both accessible and memorable.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews