New Delhi, Dec 10 (PTI) United Spirits Ltd (USL), a part of global liquor giant Diageo, on Thursday announced a top management change with its MD and CEO Anand Kripalu stepping down with effect from June 30, 2021.

Kripalu, who has been at the helm of the company for nearly eight years, will be succeeded by Hina Nagarajan, currently Managing Director Africa Regional Markets at Diageo. She will join USL as 'CEO-Designate', effective April 1, 2021, the company said in a statement.

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Nagarajan will also join the Diageo Executive Committee on July 1, 2021, it added.

Kripalu had led full integration of USL after its acquisition by Diageo and played a key role in making considerable improvement in operating performance – margin growth, working capital and cash generation - of USL, it said.

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Diageo had announced a multi-structured deal in 2012 to acquire a majority stake in USL, which was then led by Vijay Mallya, for Rs 11,166.5 crore.

He had also pushed inclusion and diversity across the business and the USL executive team is now 40 per cent female and he "leaves both the USL leadership team and broader workplace set-up for future success", the company added.

He is leaving USL to pursue the next phase of his career, the statement said.

Nagarajan, who joined Diageo in the summer of 2018, will report to John Kennedy, President Diageo Europe & India in her new role.

In her current role, she has led Diageo's Africa Regional Markets (ARM) comprising operations in Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, the Indian Ocean, Angola and several other countries.

Before joining Diageo, she was MD China & SVP North Asia with RB (Reckitt Benckiser). She has over 30 years of experience and held several senior marketing and general management positions in Nestlé India and Mary Kay India as well.

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