Avenue Supermarts, the parent company of D-Mart, has announced a management reshuffle with the appointment of Anshul Asawa from Unilever as CEO Designate. Asawa currently serves as Unilever’s Country Head in Thailand and General Manager for the Home Care division in Greater Asia.

Neville Noronha, the current Managing Director and CEO, whose term ends in January 2026, will not seek reappointment for the role, as confirmed by Avenue Supermarts in a statement.

"The Board of Directors honours his decision and expresses profound gratitude for his extraordinary contribution to the company. The Board has appointed Anshul Asawa as the CEO Designate, effective March 15, 2025",  it said.

Noronha has been associated with D-Mart for the last two decades.

He joined DMart in January 2004 and has shepherded the company from its early years -- from 5 stores to its current position as one of the largest supermarket chains with more than 380 stores now.

Asawa, an IIT Roorkee and IIM Lucknow alumnus, will join DMart after a 30-year-long stint at Unilever, where he had leadership roles overseeing the growth of product categories in India, Asia, and Europe.

During his tenure of over 15 years in India, Asawa held key leadership positions in sales, marketing and distribution.

"Neville will support Anshul for a smooth transition over the next year as the latter joins the company in March 2025. Anshul is expected to take over as the MD and CEO on the 1st of February, 2026, upon the completion of Neville's term in that position",  the statement said.

Praising Noronha's impact, the company highlighted his tenure at DMart for driving transformative growth, fostering operational excellence, and building a robust corporate culture.

"He has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and dedication in his remarkably successful tenure. A leader who saw the big picture but never lost the eye for detail, Neville made sure that growth and profits were not ends in themselves rather they were the by-products of efficiency, fairness and customer value", said Avenue Supermarts Chairman CB Bhave.