MUMBAI: L’Oreal India has appointed Amit Jain as a new India managing director succeeding Jean Christophe Letellier who will shift within L’Oréal group after a five-year stint in the country.

L’Oreal is one of the largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field of hair colour, skin care, sun protection and many others.

Jain will join the company from August this year and will be the first Indian MD after the French cosmetics giant entered in 1991.

L’Oreal South Asia Pacific Zone vice president Pierre-Yves Arzel said, “We believe that Amit’s rich global experience with a deep understanding of India, transformational leadership skills and inclusive personality will be an important asset in further developing L’Oréal’s business in India. His mission is to build on our rich talent base and global brands, to make L’Oréal India an engine for growth in Asia,”

Prior to this, Jain was the managing director of North-West Europe for Akzo Nobel, based in Amsterdam. Jain has also worked in companies including Coca- Cola and Viacom.

Under Jean-Christophe Letellier's leadership, India saw significant sales growth, revolutionised digital and e-commerce platforms, and achieved ambitious targets in skill development and environmental sustainability.

The company, which is almost synonymous with Bollywood actress and its brand ambassador Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in India, face competition from global rivals Unilever and Procter and Gamble