Was VP & CPO for PepsiCo India Region with generalist responsibility across the Food & Beverage businesses in the markets of India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan with system Net Revenue in excess of $3bn. The business comprising of both company owned and franchise operations was on a fast growth track in a highly competitive environment amidst a war for talent. The business also faced the challenge of improving profitability in an inflationary environment. Building the right talent pipeline, capability and culture to support business growth was a key challenge compounded by the task of delivering significant organizational productivity. Successfully led significant change management efforts to right size the organization and move to an integrated, matrixed, functional structure that enabled greater speed to market, scale and global leverage as well as innovation, from a 2 SBU structure which was in place for the past 24 years. We also put in place comprehensive talent, process, capability and culture building plans to support and help sustain the change management efforts. Key metrics like EBITDA/employee, net revenue/employee, spans of control and innovation revenue/employee all improved significantly. Seamlessly handled complex and transformational interventions like franchising of 2 large market units, closure of high cost unionised plants etc. While doing all this ensured high levels of employee engagement and won several external awards including one from Aon Hewitt in 2014 for being the top company among multinationals in India for developing leaders.

In April 2008 I moved to Bangkok, Thailand as HR Director for PepsiCo’s South East Asia Business Unit, comprising of Food and Beverage businesses across Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Pacific Islands, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia and Mongolia, where I supported the business on several change initiatives including M&A and also did significant work on the PepsiCo AMEA reorganization. Prior to moving back to India in March 2011, I was HR Director for North and South Asia BU which also included markets like Japan, Korea, Philippines and Pakistan. During these stints I dealt with multiple business models including company owned operations, franchisee managed operations, JVs, global imports, co-packers, outsourced distributors etc.

In July 2005 I moved to Hong Kong as the Organization Capability Director of Asia Region and was responsible for Talent Management initiatives across Asia (China, India and Asia-Pacific including ANZ) like the Asia Leadership Academy for high potentials with HKUST, the D&I journey etc and also acted as HR generalist for the Region Headquarters team. During this time I worked on various interventions focused on China and other key markets in Asia Pacific including talent mapping, strategic hiring, succession planning, career development and building an inclusive culture.

I joined PepsiCo as HR Director, India Foods in March 2001 and led the people agenda during an exciting phase of growth for the business and partnered on key initiatives like the cultural and capability aspects of Mission 500 (visioning movement).

My Hindustan Lever (Unilever India) experiences (1993 - 2001) included a stint at Etah as Personnel Manager responsible for Dairy & Tea operations and an Integrated Rural Development Programme. Was also involved in a new “Ready To Drink Tea” project, which came up in Etah towards the end of my tenure there. In July 1995 I moved to a bigger tea factory at Kanhan, Nagpur, with a complex Industrial Relations situation. Achievements at this factory included introduction of 3 shift operations in place of the existing 2 shift operations in a very short period of time to meet business requirements, signing of Long Term Settlement with 2 trade unions through which we achieved 32% productivity improvement, flexibility, modernisation and multi skilling, smooth separation of 200 employees through a Voluntary Retirement Scheme as part of a restructuring exercise, introducing and sustaining major cultural change in the work force to meet Unilever Safety and Foods Quality Assurance requirements and preparing ground for introduction of TPM at the factory. During this time I was deputed for 6 months to set up a Greenfield tea factory and also worked for 6 months as the acting Plant Manager. My last stint with Unilever was at their Mumbai factory, the oldest HLL unit, producing toilet and hard-soaps. Bombay factory had a turbulent IR history and a complex scenario. Built good rapport with employees & the union in quick time & smoothly implemented key re-structuring initiatives. I was also actively involved in other HR interventions like campus & other recruitment, running assessment/development centres, participating as faculty in various training programs.

My first job was with M/s VIP Industries Ltd (Blow Plast group) where I joined as a Management Trainee in 1989. After a two months’ familiarisation at their Nasik plant, was posted at their moulded luggage factory at Nagpur employing over 600 persons. After completing management traineeship there, took charge of the Personnel & Administration Dept and was reporting to GM – Works. Handled multiple IR/labour situations including strikes, lockouts and legal cases effectively and was able to build a productive and harmonious culture in the workforce.