LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - Reckitt Benckiser (RKT.L) has named company insider Kris Licht as CEO designate to succeed Nicandro Durante, taking the helm by the end of the year after a transition period.
Licht, who has served as president of Reckitt's health business and as chief customer officer since July 2020, will be appointed to the board as an executive director from June 1.
Durante, a former BAT (BATS.L) chief executive, will stay with Reckitt until December "to ensure a smooth transition".
The company, which makes Durex condoms and Lysol cleaning products, also reported like-for-like net revenue up 7.9% in the first quarter, beating analyst expectations of a 3.6% rise in consensus forecast provided by the company.
Reckitt, which also makes Nurofen tablets, cold remedy Lemsip and Dettol hygiene products, now expects like-for-like net revenue growth of 3-5% for the year after beating sales expectations for several quarters in a row, helped by price increases.