ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor of Science: University of Mumbai, India

Master of Business Administration (MBA): Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai, India

PROFILE SUMMARY

A seasoned business leader with 29+ years of experience across FMCG, consumer businesses and adjacent sectors, driving growth, transformation and P&L performance. Proven expertise in sales and distribution strategy, Route-to-Market transformation, business restructuring and market expansion across India and South Asia. Has led large-scale teams and delivered significant growth across traditional trade, rural, modern trade and e-commerce channels.

CONSULTING EXPERIENCE

1 years

EXPERIENCE HIGHLIGHTS

LeapBridge Consulting
Founder September 2025 - till present
- LeapBridge Consulting is a boutique growth and transformation advisory firm helping consumer-facing businesses unlock scale and performance. We specialize in Route-to-Market redesign, sales excellence, and execution-led transformation across FMCG, healthcare, and consumer retail.
- Approach used.
- P& L oriented approach focussing on top line and bottom-line priorities, portfolio choices, pricing, RTM choices.
- We bring strategic depth and executional rigor, powered by sales technology and AI-driven insights that enable smarter, faster decisions.
- From digital sales enablement to channel transformation, we help brands bridge strategy and execution to drive measurable, lasting growth.
independent consultant January 2025 - August 2025

Nobel Hygiene Pvt. Ltd.
Chief Commercial Officer August 2023 - December 2024
- A leading equity investor backed company in the disposable hygiene space having pan national space. Created the adult diaper category in the country and enjoying a leadership position. The baby diaper category is a widely distributed category present in 50 Lac stores and affords distribution opportunities to grow.
- Leading the Sales demand planning and distribution solutions at a pan India level for the business with a team of 10 direct reports across General trade, modern trade, hospital, institutions and business analytics. On roll team size 135 and feet on street size of 700. Accountable for revenue growth, Go to Market Strategy, delivery models, distribution expansion, sales force productivity, sales efficiencies, Sales IT augmentation, key account/partner management, trade spend and selling expense optimization, stakeholder and team management, monthly investor relations management.
- Business Growth
- Revenue turnover of Rs 790 Cr.
- Strategic Initiatives
- Transformed the India RTM (Route-to-Market) structure from a surgical and pharma-oriented push business to a specific geo focussed mass distribution model.
- Clearly defined Beat structures, optimised manpower and expanded footprint using a town class segmented approach.
- Assessed Distributor partners at a city level and segregated the Go to Market plan to focus both on the adult and the baby diaper business.
- Enhanced the rural distribution network.
- Developed a Clear Modern Trade Strategy for growth
- Built a strong footprint in the hospital and institution segment.
- Built a logistics solution for an effective delivery system. CFA vs Large Super stockist delivery model.

Emami Ltd.
President Sales- Consumer Care Division March 2020 - August 2023
- A listed multi category personal care and foods company with a wide distribution footprint, strong rural presence with a total indirect reach of 50 Lac stores.
- Leading the Sales function at a pan India level for the consumer care business with a team of 9 direct reports across General trade, modern trade, ecommerce and CSD. On roll team size 450 and feet on street 3500.Accountable revenue growth, business analytics, channel profitability deliver EBIDTA, distribution expansion, sales force productivity and efficiencies, customer acquisition, key account/partner management, trade spend and selling expense optimization, stakeholder and team management, quarterly investor relations management. Role enhancement to managing D2C brands as additional responsibility. Reporting to the promoter.
- Business Growth
- Grew the business from revenue turnover of Rs 1931 Crores to 2450 Cr last year at a CAGR of 8.2% doubling the growth rate of previous years.
- Delivered strong ecommerce and modern trade growth rates with EBIDTA within budgeted levels, MT and ecommerce are now 19% of overall business.
- Strategic Initiatives
- Delivered strong growths during COVID by leveraging technology, identified channel for growths and delivered on new launch agendas.
- Developed a Winning in many India strategy and built a strong analytical structure across Urban and Rural.
- Rural infrastructure augmentation using technology and a potential based approach vs a population-based expansion approach, Rural footprint doubled in two years. Emami’s Town and village coverage reaches 52000
- Grew Ecommerce business from 25 cr to 155 Cr in 3 years by delivering profitability Objective of the channel.
- Modern Trade has grown from a 100 Cr business to 225 Cr business in 3 years.
- Both rural and urban footprint geo coded and have used technology to up sell and cross sell to stores using algorithms that capture store level SKU potential.

Hershey India Pvt Ltd
Director – Sales India and Exports January 2015 - February 2020
- A 100% subsidiary of The Hershey Company, an American Multi National Chocolate and Snacking Company.
- Heading end-to-end sales and distribution responsibilities for the India business and also for South Asia countries such as Nepal, Mauritius, Bhutan, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh with a cross-functional team of 6 direct resources. Accountable for strategy planning, revenue growth, profitability, distribution management, customer acquisition, key account/partner management, process improvements, cost optimization, stakeholder and team management. Reporting to MD – India. Lead the project to launch Chocolate category in India.
- Business Growth
- Grew the business from revenue turnover of USD 30 M and –ve GP of 7% to USD 60 M with +ve GP of 27%.
- Impacted the GP by nearly 34% and almost doubled the top line
- Strategic Initiatives
- Member of the Executive Decision Making team involved in formulating long/short term business growth and sustainability strategies and action plans in alignment with the overall corporate vision and goals
- Joined the organization with the mandate of transforming the sales function and driving the India business; played a key role in altering the organizational DNA by achieving corporate edict of higher profitability and market leadership in India:
- Established Hershey products in India, profitably expanded distribution network and built capabilities in the sales function for managing the envisioned growth
- Launched Hershey Chocolates in India within 1.5 years of joining; supported realization of company’s vision of launching Chocolates in India, pending since last 7-8 years:
- Adopted a balanced mix of cost effective manufacturing solutions, strategic pricing, and leveraged domain knowledge for a successful launch
- Led a complex organization-wide transformation exercise; conducted strategic assessments of the business portfolios and detailed profitability analysis to determine the business viability and prospects:
- Identified gaps/pain areas and recommended re-structuring initiatives which were approved and successfully implemented
- Systematically pruned down the non-profitable businesses and focused on expanding the premium segments; closed the Oil business and scaled down the non-profitable SKU/depots
- Restructured sales systems and resources to improve profitability; avoided investment-ahead-of-curve
- Identified geographies with negative profitability and exited/streamlined the distribution network
- Transformed the India RTM (Route-to-Market) strategy structure from a legacy oriented push business to specific geo focussed premium brand strategy; expanded from 3 key product categories to 7 with zero additional investment in resources:
- Drove multiple category launches, once every quarter, and changed the distribution focus to identified Top 40 cities
- Transitioned the metro distribution system from outsourced vendor to in-house leading to growth in the premium business from 18% to >70%; delivered CAGR of 70%-80%
- Ensured the RTM strategy is in alignment and in compliance with Cold Chain requirements; scaled up the distribution network to Cold Chain compliant which included training the field force and distribution partners in Cold Chain methodologies

Cipla Ltd
National Sales Manager – Generics & OTC July 2014 - December 2014
- Headed INR 1,000 Cr sales turnover per annum for Generics and OTC product range on Pan India basis with a team of 60+ resources; achieved growth rate of 36% and contributed in growing Cipla’s turnover from INR 735 Cr to INR 1,000 Cr
- Mastered a quick learning curve on pharmaceutical domain and identified clear growth drivers within the organizational portfolio; steered strategic and RTM focus on the identified product range:
- Launched 2 new product lines with plans of launching another 5 in the near future
- Introduced the concept of category prioritization which prioritized the product portfolios with respect to profitability and market potential; developed effective sales reporting systems to aid management in informed decision making
- Performed market scanning exercise and identified top selling SKU/product range, changing market trends and delivery systems; recommended modification to the company product portfolio accordingly

Cadbury India Ltd
Associate Vice President – Sales – Rural June 2012 - June 2014
- Delivered CAGR of >60% in the span of 2 years, against the country average of 18%; managed the rural markets across 9 states, which contributed 90% of the entire rural business of Chocolates as a category:
- Identified and selected the 9 states for leadership focus and drive; designed and developed the rural RTM strategy
- Grew the rural business coverage from 6,000 to 18,000 towns; scaled up the rural business salience from 12.8% to 17% as measured externally by Nielsen. Rural business approx. 20% of Turnover.
- Pioneered the concept of setting up a sales team focused on rural sales; built a team of 59 on-roll and 600+ off-roll employees
- Designed and developed a sustainable and scalable RTM model; focused on creating rural footprints based on village potential versus traditional approach based on census cluster.
Associate Vice President – Sales – North June 2009 - May 2012
- Turned around the North region performance and grew the overall business from INR 650 Cr to INR 1,100 Cr
- Faced and addressed various business and hygiene challenges unique to North; low market share in various geos, high wholesale salience and low direct distribution, lowest metrics of distribution efficiency, high write-offs and team attrition
- Reduced North’s write-off from 2% to 0 and market damages from 1.5% to 0.3% against company average of 0.5%
- Brought down the attrition from a high of 50% to zero, while the company average was 15%-16%; North was recognized as the only region with zero attrition
- Consolidated distributors to enhance direct reach and reduced indirect wholesale contribution
- Changed the entire incentive structure for North, a first-in-the-company; influenced the management for the change and developed the incentive model focusing on performance metrics and hygiene parameters
- Revamped the Super-Stockiest/Rural network and scaled up the town coverage from 500 to 1,100 towns in UP state; grew the Candy Gum/Confectionery portfolio by 4x times in North:
- Improved the market share in Punjab from 45% to 63%; focused on driving sales across the large towns emphasized on weighted distribution across large towns and by strengthening the rural network.
- Leadership Role
- Member of the Beverage Category Board, a cross-functional team, operating as a quasi-board
Associate Vice President – Sales – East June 2008 - May 2009
Branch Sales Manager – Tamil Nadu & Kerala December 2005 - May 2008

Standard Chartered Bank
Manager - City Business Mortgages September 2003 - December 2005

P&G - Marico Industries Ltd
Area Sales Manager – Edible Oils/Personal Care, Demand Manager and Business Manager April 1998 - August 2003

Cadbury India Ltd
Frontline Sales 1994 - 1998