United Spirits Ltd (USL), a part of global liquor giant Diageo, on Thursday appointed Hina Nagarajan as the company’s new CEO with effect from July 1, 2021.

Incumbent Anand Kripalu will step down on June 30. At present, Nagarajan is the managing director of the Africa Regional Markets (ARM) at Diageo and will join USL as the CEO-designate from April 1, the company said, adding she will take over formally from July 1 and will be a member of the Diageo executive committee.

She will report to John Kennedy, the president of Diageo Europe and India. Nagarajan will be based in Bangalore and will work closely with Kripalu to ensure a smooth transition, the company said. In her current role, she leads Diageo’s ARM comprising operations in Ghana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, the Indian Ocean, Angola and several other countries.