The best job is the one you are doing now: HUL CEO Nitin Paranjpe

"It is not a transactional job. My heart is here," says Nitin Paranjpe, CEO of Hindustan Unilever who will relocate to London in two months' time to take charge as president, Home Care. He hands over charge to Sanjiv Mehta, who is currently chairman, North Africa & Middle East. In an exclusive chat with ET at HUL's headquarters in the western suburbs of Mumbai, Paranjpe said he is still focused on HULBSE -3.71 % and anxious that the organisation does not get complacent, but stays relevant in the marketplace. Edited excerpts:

Are you excited about the new role?

I have often said that the best job is the one which you are doing now. The reality is I haven't even started thinking about my new role. I have two more months in my current role. The things that occupy my mind at this moment concern what I have to do in the next two months.

What was your most challenging task since you took charge in 2009?

Certainly the early part of my career as CEO was the most challenging. Early 2009 was a difficult period as it coincided with the global economic turmoil. We went through a really difficult nine-month period. But the one thing that did not change was the clear focus on doing the right thing and ensuring that we did not take any short-cuts. Short-cuts work only for the short term. Fortunately, I had the confidence and trust of my leaders who did not constantly look over my shoulder and were there to support me. We succeeded in creating a high-performing culture where highly energised and engaged employees synchronised with our collective goal of building a business with a purpose. We have to be leaders of today with an eye on tomorrow, disciplined enough to invest for the future.

India is where the action is in terms of the global focus on emerging markets. Are you happy to move out of India?

Of course I will miss the Indian business. My heart is here. I have spent a large amount of my time here. I will miss this like anyone else would. I don't treat anything that I do as a mere job. There is a lot of heart and emotion in everything I do. But equally, I am someone who recognises that you have to move on.

When I move into the new role, there will be a different context and a different challenge. I have absolutely no doubt that Sanjiv (Mehta) will take the current business from where we are to the next level. I feel good that we will have someone in the role who, in my judgment, will bring in the right balance of continuity of what we are doing and the change which is required with time. Every leader brings in that little personal touch to what is required. I think this business will benefit from Sanjiv's leadership.

Sanjiv Mehta takes charge of HUL at a time when the Indian consumer market is facing a downtrend. Do you think it will be tougher for him to tackle it given that he has never worked in HUL or India?

The context is tough and will remain challenging and all of us will have to learn to deal with that. Some things will change and some things will never change. Our goals will not change but the route to that goal could, depending on the times that we find ourselves in. The goals will have to meet four criteria - competitive, consistent, profitable and responsible growth.