Italian confectionery major Perfetti Van Melle has appointed Nikhil Sharma as its new managing director for the India market, Storyboard18 can confirm. Sharma is currently the managing director of Perfetti Van Melle Vietnam.
His journey began with Perfetti Van Melle (PVM) in 1999 as a Management Trainee, serving various roles in Sales and Marketing. He was heading the Marketing function in 2012. From 2015 he moved to General Management and went overseas to head PVM Philippines, followed by being appointed the Managing Director of PVM Vietnam.
Starting February 2024, he will be running the India business as Managing Director, leveraging his global experience on Perfetti’s Indian chapter.
During his previous stint in India, under his leadership, PVM launched several successful campaigns – Alpenliebe Kajol & the Crocodile, Re-launch of Big Babol ads, Chlormint Salman Khan campaign of Dobara mat Poochna and Lollipops – Lagey Raho to mention a few.
Sharma’s return to India follows the exit of outgoing MD Rajesh Ramakrishnan, who quit the company after six years. Prior to PVM, Ramakrishnan worked at Hindustan Times, where he was head – marketing and at Apollo Tyres, where he was head – global marketing.
Read More: Perfetti Van Melle’s MD Rajesh Ramakrishnan quits the confectionery company