Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd. recently announced the appointment of Abhijit Kulkarni as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO). Kulkarni brings over two decades of diverse experience with leading multinational corporations, including Unilever, Castrol, and Coca-Cola. His expertise spans strategic marketing, brand development, sales, and general management.
In his new role at Gulf Oil, Kulkarni will oversee both the B2C and B2B business segments, with a focus on synergy, marketing, and business growth (excluding OEM partnerships). He will report directly to Ravi Chawla, Managing Director & CEO of Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd.
Kulkarni joins Gulf Oil following a successful 16-year tenure with Unilever, where he held several leadership roles, most recently as Cluster General Manager for Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam in the ice cream division. Among his notable achievements are the turnaround of Unilever’s Thailand ice cream business and the launch of premium brands like ‘Magnum’ in India. His strong business acumen and ability to drive competitive growth and build high-performance teams are expected to play a significant role in advancing Gulf Oil’s channel strategies and aligning key business segments with the company’s overarching commercial objectives.
Kulkarni holds an MBA from Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) and a Bachelor’s in Engineering from Government College of Engineering, Pune (COEP). His experience across Indian and international markets equips him with a valuable perspective on driving success in competitive and dynamic industries.
