Leo Puri Exits Tata Sons After HUL: Has Overboarding Criteria Prompted His 2nd Resignation?

Leo Puri has resigned from the board of the holding company of the Tata Group, Tata Sons, as an independent director, the Economic Times reported, citing official sources. His resignation reportedly came after his term ended and Puri didn’t seek a renewal. 

This resignation counts as his second in a month’s duration. Prior to Tata Sons board resignation, he stepped down from the board of Hindustan Unilever as an independent director after serving for nearly seven years. He was appointed as an independent director for HUL’s board in 2018 and later reappointed in 2023. 

His exit from the fast-moving consumer giant’s board will be effective from June 30 this year. 

“We wish to inform you that Leo Puri has tendered his resignation as the Independent Director of the Company, with effect from close of business hours on June 30, 2025,” said HUL in a statement on the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

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Puri stepped down, citing increased board commitments. Apart from this, he will cease to be the chairperson of the risk management committee, ESG committee, and member of the audit committee of HUL. 

Additionally, his proposed appointment on the board of a global entity barred him from serving as a board member for multiple companies, the statement added. According to European Corporate Governance’s overboarding criteria, the ability of directors to serve effectively is affected by the number of boards on which they serve. 

Who is Leo Puri? 

Leo Puri, who serves as an independent director on the board of many companies, including Fortis Healthcare and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, is a financial sector veteran with nearly 30 years of experience under his belt in financial consultancy. In December last year, he was appointed as the chairman of Fortis Healthcare’s board of directors. Prior to this, in March last year, Puri joined a private equity firm, Apax India, as a chairman. Additionally, he has held important positions at JPMorganChase and McKinsey & Company.