Procter & Gamble India announced that Kumar Venkatasubramanian will take over as the Chief Executive Officer for its operations in India from May 1, 2024. Venkatasubramanian is an alumnus of IIM Calcutta and started his journey with P&G in the sales team in India, straight from campus in 2000. He has almost 24 years of experience, majority of it in India across different roles in the Sales function.
Venkatasubramanian, who is currently leading the P&G business in Australia and New Zealand as CEO, said, “It is a moment of great pride for me to come back to India and spearhead the P&G business in the country.”
Venkatasubramanian will take over from LV Vaidyanathan, who will leave the company to pursue other interests after 28 years with the FMCG major. Vaidyanathan was appointed CEO of P&G India in July 2022.
Venkatasubramanian added that he is looking forward to being back in the market, learning more about the Indian consumers and serving their needs.
Speaking about the India organization he said P&G India is on a momentum, delivering consistent results and a balanced top and bottom-line growth.
“It will be important for us to remain focused on our integrated growth strategy, as I believe it is the right strategy for us to deliver sustained outcomes,” he said.
P&G India, he said, will focus on a portfolio of daily use products where performance drives brand choice, and raise the bar on all aspects of the company’s “superiority strategy– product, package, brand communication, retail execution, and value.”
“We aim to lead constructive disruption in the industry across the value chain. I believe that our agile, empowered, and accountable organization will be at the heart of our growth. I look forward to working with our incredibly talented team in India once again and playing a part in the India growth story,” Venkatasubramanian said.
Venkatasubramanian is currently leading the P&G business in Australia and New Zealand as CEO where he has been responsible for steering the team to deliver record metrics, driven by category growth and strong retailer partnerships. Prior to the Australia role, Kumar was leading the Sales Team in P&G India until 2020.
He is a passionate advocate for Equality and Inclusion, and under his leadership, many programs were expanded to have significant impact on employees and community. the company said. This included P&G ANZ’s largest-ever corporate partnership with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.
The company added that under his leadership, “P&G India has made strides on the journey of bringing in superior propositions for the Indian consumers and delivered consistent balanced growth of top and bottom line. In his time, the company has also stepped-up on efforts across the key areas of Citizenship – Community Impact, Equality and Inclusion and Environmental Sustainability.”
Stanislav Vecera, P&G President, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, said, “I am thrilled with Kumar Venkatasubramanian’s appointment as the India CEO, who has been an integral part of the P&G India growth story for well over two decades. Kumar is no stranger to the India organization, having spent many years building and executing our business strategies here. The India business and people will immensely benefit from his leadership and vision, and collectively I am certain they will take the India business to new heights while maintaining a balanced growth outlook.”
More about the new P&G India chief
Venkatasubramanian started his career with P&G in India in 2000 as a new hire in the Sales function from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and worked in various sales leadership roles across India. In his 23+ years career, Venkatasubramanian has led complex categories across some of the world’s largest markets including India, Brazil, and Australia. Venkatasubramanian rose the ranks in P&G India as he managed partnerships with various distributor operations and key customers. Until 2020, for a few years, Venkatasubramanian led the P&G India Sales function and the Oral Care category. In 2020, Kumar was elevated to the role of CEO – P&G Australia and New Zealand where he has delivered record business performance through strong category growth. Over the years, Venkatasubramanian has led large and diverse teams, with extensive leadership experience to complement his strong business acumen.
Read More: P&G India’s MD LV. Vaidyanathan resigns; Kumar Venkatasubramanian to take over as MD on May 1