From FMCG giants to growth firms, 60% CEOs bring sales and marketing edge
Over 60% of CEOs attribute their growth to formative years spent in sales, brand management, or field operations—often in tier-2 or tier-3 markets.
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With rapid digitalization, shifting consumer behavior, and accelerated technological changes, nearly one in three organizations has appointed a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the past three years, according to a report by WalkWater Talent Advisors.
The study revealed that 66% of CEOs have moved from large FMCG or consumer durable giants to mid-sized or emerging companies. "CEOs today are far more experimental. They are willing to leave trillion- or billion-dollar corporations for million-dollar companies because such transitions offer greater autonomy and the opportunity to build from the ground up," said Shalini Jain, Partner- Consumer and Retail sector at WalkWater Talent Advisors.
An analysis by Storyboard18 highlighted several examples of this growing trend. LV Vaidyanathan, Executive Chairman at Modenik Lifestyle, previously worked with P&G, while Anand Kripalu, MD and Global CEO of Essel Propack, was earlier associated with Diageo. Satyaki Ghosh, CEO of Domestic Textile at Aditya Birla Group, transitioned from L’Oréal, and Vishal Gupta, CEO at Nykaa Distribution (Superstore) business, came from Unilever. Similarly, Venkatesh Vijayaraghavan, CEO of TTK Prestige, was formerly with CavinKare; Ignatius Neville Noronha, CEO of DMart, also had a stint with Unilever; Pratik Pota, CEO of Eureka Forbes, previously worked with HUL, Bharti Airtel, and PepsiCo; Krishnan Sundaram, CEO of Vini Cosmetics, too was with Unilever, and Devendra Chawla, MD and CEO of GreenCell Mobility, was earlier with Spencer's Retail and Walmart.
Rahul Shah, Co-founder and Director of WalkWater Talent Advisors, notes that wealth creation is another key driver behind this CEO turnover.
Co‑CEO Governance: An emerging trend in global corporates "The competencies required of new-age consumer industry leaders are evolving. With increased investments, heightened PE/VC activity, and a wave of M&A deals, many firms now offer CEOs an opportunity for wealth creation alongside business growth," he said.
'Sales and marketing: The cornerstone skill'
Sales and marketing expertise emerged as the most common leadership trait, featuring in 63% of CEO profiles in the "Inside the Corner Office - The Definitive Look at India’s Consumer CEO Journey" study. Many CEOs attribute their growth to formative years spent in sales, brand management, or field operations—often in tier-2 or tier-3 markets. "Early exposure to 'India at the grassroots' repeatedly serves as a crucible for humility and market insight," said Shah.
This pattern is visible in the recent leadership changes at two FMCG behemoths--Nestle India appointed Manish Tiwary as MD, and HUL elevated Priya Nair as CEO. Both leader come from strong sales and marketing backgrounds-- Nair was previously Global CMO for beauty and wellbeing at HUL, while Tiwary held key roles in sales, marketing, and general management at HUL before joining Nestle India on 1 February 2025.
'Quality education: The common denominator'
The educational bar for the consumer industry also remains high. WalkWater's study found that 80% of CEOs studied from premier post-graduate institutes in India, while 13% pursued their PG education abroad. MBA is the most common credential at 87%, with 3 out of 5 CEOs graduating from a top Indian B-school. Moreover, 56% hold engineering degrees, and 25% are alumni of IIT, NIT, or BITS.
'Gender gap'
Women remain significantly underrepresented at the top in the consumer industry. Only 6.9%, or 22 out of 317 consumer company CEOs, are women. Of these, half were promoted internally, and 50% lead companies in the retail and textiles sector. "This underscores the urgent need for intentional talent strategies. Boards that integrate rigorous succession planning with a focus on inclusivity and strategic agility will be best positioned to navigate this dynamic market," added Jain.
![“We should protect that [Tata culture] ferociously. The day we lose that… the day we decide to cheat or do something that benefits us and not the customer, we will have lost a very important asset,” late Ratan Tata had said.](https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2023/08/Ratan-Tata-1019x573.jpg?impolicy=website&width=910&height=475)
