Mohammad Zaved Akhtar
Mohammad Zaved Akhtar joined Unilever Bangladesh Limited (UBL) in 2000 as a Senior Brand Manager. During his career spanning over two decades, Zaved has worked in different roles in local, regional and international capacities.
Chairman & Managing Director
During his early career, Zaved worked in Oral Care, developing the market in Bangladesh through Pepsodent and Close Up, while accelerating the category’s competitive growth. He later worked as the Regional Brand Innovation Manager for Laundry in India, Marketing Manager for Laundry, and later Skincare in Bangladesh, and Marketing Manager for Home Care and Oral Care in the Philippines before becoming the Regional Brand Director for Rexona, based out of the Philippines.
He returned to UBL as the Brand Building Director. After leading the function in Bangladesh, he was appointed as VP, Digital Transformation and Growth at Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL). Zaved set up and led the Digital Council for HUL, anchoring the ‘Reimagine HUL’ agenda, which is recognised across Unilever as a comprehensive end-to-end digital transformation programme with impact. Zaved has also played a significant role in HUL’s team, crafting the Five Fundamentals of Growth, institutionalising Market Development and driving Net Revenue Management in Unilever’s business in South Asia.
Zaved was appointed as the CEO and Managing Director of UBL in 2021. In August 2023, he was elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of UBL.
Zaved holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Administration, University of Dhaka. Prior to joining Unilever, Zaved has worked for British American Tobacco. Currently, Zaved is also the President of the Foreign Investors’ Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), and the Director of Bangladesh Employers Federation (BEF).
He is widely regarded as an expert in the FMCG industry and is frequently invited to speak at industry events and conferences. He also contributes to national newspapers on industry-related topics and economic issues. Zaved is an alumnus of Dhaka College and St. Joseph Higher Secondary School. He was also trained at IIM Ahmedabad, India, and INSEAD, Singapore.
Zaved is a certified scuba diver. He is also an avid reader and is particularly interested in books on business, history, and philosophy. In addition, he is actively involved in promoting sustainable living practices and environmental conservation, reflecting his deep commitment to responsible business.