5 Things To Know About the New PepsiCo India CEO Jagrut Kotecha He will be superseding Ahmed El Sheikh, who held the position for seven years and will now be the CEO of its Middle East business unit. He will officially assume the position in March 2024
By Paromita Gupta •
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On Friday, PepsiCo India announced the appointment of Jagrut Kotecha as the new chief executive officer (CEO).
"This leadership change, reflecting PepsiCo's dynamic and forward-thinking global approach, has been meticulously planned and was communicated to the India office employees yesterday as part of a series of leadership changes across AMESA," said the company press release.
Here are 5 things to know about the new PepsiCo India CEO.
1. Educational background
Kotecha earned his B.E. Chemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering from the University of Mumbai and later went on to do his Master of Business Administration - MBA, Marketing from SVKM's Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS).
2. The Cadbury Stint
Prior to starting his long-time association with multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation, he spent two years working with Cadbury in sales between 1992 - 1994.
3. A Three Decade Tryst
According to his LinkedIn profile, he joined PepsiCo India's sales and marketing division for five years before becoming the Director of Sales- Foods- ASPAC in 2000. Post that, he served as the Commercial Director- in the Philippines and General Manager for Malaysia/Singapore/Brunie/Pacific/Mongolia.
He was appointed as the Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer -Amesa in 2020. "Having been part of the PepsiCo family for the past 30 years, I have witnessed firsthand the unwavering commitment of PepsiCo India to excellence and innovation. I am excited to drive forward our mission, ensuring continued success and growth in the Indian market," said Kotecha.
4. The FAIL Mindset
Kotecha stands by the principle- What does fail mean? It's our First Attempt In Learning. "If we take calculated risks, we will succeed and sometimes we will fail. And in those moments when you succeed, you'll be happy and when we fail, we'll be wise people. In any case, we will learn," he shared with the media in an interview.
5. Who will he succeed?
He will be superseding Ahmed El Sheikh, who held the position for seven years and will now be the CEO of its Middle East business unit. He will officially assume the position in March 2024.
