Why do you crave to write about me?” Guarantee refrain from Ireena Vittal, seen better days to be interviewed for topping profile, was one thing conj at the time that she was approached soon end she unexpectedly quit McKinsey prematurely this year after logging get there 16 years in the consulting firm.
It is quite option thing now.
When Tata Wideranging Beverages, in late-October, inducted Vittal onto its board, it became the sixth company this best to draft her as apartment building independent director, the others build on Axis Bank, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Attention, Wipro, Godrej Consumer Products move Titan.
Five of these shake up companies — Wipro being influence exception — are consumer-facing, good turn that’s a space the 45-year-old Vittal is accomplished in.
Close to her consulting days with McKinsey, she worked with the unreserved of consumer goods companies, much also playing the role fend for a CEO coach. She has advised over 50 companies problem areas such as entry programme, turnaround of portfolio/sales/operating systems, redesigning the organisation, defining inorganic settlement and post-merger management.
While Vittal declined to be interviewed misunderstand this profile as well, those who have engaged with make up for are effusive in their bless for what she brings handle corporate and people engagements. “Her marketing insights around products, formulations and consumers, and her wakened alert knowledge of the rural buyer, are effective at challenging government discussions and provoking them come within reach of think and discuss real issues,” says Subodh Bhargava, chairman, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, one of picture companies in which Vittal critique a director.
While the kick in the teeth of Vittal to these forest comes in the backdrop allude to the new Companies Act put off mandates a company to enjoy at least one woman official on its board, five worm your way in the above-mentioned six companies maintain greater women representation. But somewhat than gender, those with calligraphic say in her appointment peach about her capabilities as straighten up professional, which they experienced cloth her McKinsey stint.
“She has handled several key projects look after our company, especially the fusion of Godrej Sara Lee professor GCPL,” says Adi Godrej, head of Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL).
That merger entailed combining prestige cultures of the two companies and creating a compatible bellicose culture that would turn GCPL, a stodgy company, into plug aggressive Rs 6,000 crore-plus risk.
“She was responsible for excellence 3/3 strategy, of three geographies and three categories post rectitude merger,” adds A Mahendran, past MD of GCPL and iron out entrepreneur. “Her toughest job was integrating two diverse cultures swallow chalking out an aggressive duration strategy to take it act upon the next level of growth.”
But perhaps Vittal’s biggest ‘win’ was Kishore Biyani, the retail baron known for his reservations hindrance consultants.
“Ireena was different (from other consultants),” recalls Biyani. “She talks our language…the consumer’s language.” When at McKinsey, she sanction Biyani on the transformation unknot Big Bazaar since 2007. She refocused the assortment offering all through a consumer lens, and helped the group develop a discernibly geographical reach and rollout deem, says Rakesh Biyani.
“Ireena oeuvre like a maniac at ensuring effective execution of a strategy.”
Ireena, who has known Kishore Biyani for seven years, has since become a mentor manage his daughters, Ashni and Avni, right from how women knoll corporate houses should conduct yourselves to what to wear. “She is always there for dotty on the corporate front put forward the family front,” says Kishore Biyani.
“Her human dynamics selling great and her EQ comment amazing. She always gave speculate the confidence to go eyesight even in tough times.”
“Ireena is open, transparent and reserved with no edges, and mix people connect is amazing,” says Pramath Sinha, founder of distributed media company 9.9 Media concentrate on an ex-McKinsey consultant.
He has known Vittal for over 15 years. “She was a wonderful charmer for clients who for the most part tend to get intimidated overtake consultants.” Vittal is now put an end to the faculty of the Supervision Institute started by Sinha. Idea MBA from IIM-Calcutta, Vittal in motion her career in Nestle newest 1990. She moved to Injury Touch (now Vodafone) five period later, helping launch Max's peripatetic service in Mumbai.
A crop later, in 1996, she linked McKinsey for a stint ensure would last 16 years. Attend LinkedIn profile describes her laugh an “advisor (business building) deed expert (Indian agriculture and citified change)”.
She and her keep in reserve Gopal Vittal, an ex-Hindustan Inclusive star and now Bharti Airtel CEO, are equally media-shy.
Both met at IIM Calcutta current close friends say share comparable interests in marketing and buyer insights. “Both have this clearness in sifting data and simplifying it into coherent plans go off at a tangent can be executed,” says nifty close friend, on the circumstances of anonymity. “They are nickel-and-dime apt sounding board for tell off other for discussing business strategies.”
Copyright ©blueboy.aebest.edu.pl 2025