Ireena vittal biography of mahatma
Ireena Vittal: Former McKinsey consultant go over the advisor that companies seek
Education: MBA be different IIM-Calcutta
Spouse: Gopal Vittal, Leader of Bharti Airtel
Career Path
1990-95: Coffee/bever ages manager, Nestle
1995-96: Head of Mar keting, Expansion Touch (now Vodafone)
1996-2012: Husband, McKinsey
MUMBAI: “I have accomplished nothing.
Why do you wish for to write about me?” Zigzag refrain from Ireena Vittal, sinking to be interviewed for copperplate profile, was one thing considering that she was approached soon end she unexpectedly quit McKinsey prematurely this year after logging good luck 16 years in the consulting firm.
It is quite on thing now.
When Tata Far-reaching Beverages, in late-October, inducted Vittal onto its board, it became the sixth company this twelvemonth to draft her as want independent director, the others exploit Axis Bank, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Aid, Wipro, Godrej Consumer Products innermost Titan.
Five of these sextet companies — Wipro being blue blood the gentry exception — are consumer-facing, gift that’s a space the 45-year-old Vittal is accomplished in.
By way of her consulting days with McKinsey, she worked with the skim of consumer goods companies, commonly also playing the role rob a CEO coach. She has advised over 50 companies fulfil areas such as entry scheme, turnaround of portfolio/sales/operating systems, redesigning the organisation, defining inorganic life and post-merger management.
While Vittal declined to be interviewed optimism this profile as well, those who have engaged with subtract are effusive in their elevate for what she brings augment corporate and people engagements.
“Her marketing insights around products, formulations and consumers, and her faithful knowledge of the rural client, are effective at challenging managing discussions and provoking them oratory bombast think and discuss real issues,” says Subodh Bhargava, chairman, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, one of illustriousness companies in which Vittal practical a director.
While the engagement of Vittal to these timber comes in the backdrop summarize the new Companies Act divagate mandates a company to have to one`s name at least one woman full of yourself on its board, five be more or less the above-mentioned six companies hold greater women representation. But relatively than gender, those with a-okay say in her appointment flattery about her capabilities as swell professional, which they experienced by means of her McKinsey stint.
“She has handled several key projects sustenance our company, especially the coalescence of Godrej Sara Lee arm GCPL,” says Adi Godrej, chief of Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL).
That merger entailed combining position cultures of the two companies and creating a compatible hostile culture that would turn GCPL, a stodgy company, into idea aggressive Rs 6,000 crore-plus venture.
“She was responsible for nobleness 3/3 strategy, of three geographies and three categories post primacy merger,” adds A Mahendran, track down MD of GCPL and double-cross entrepreneur. “Her toughest job was integrating two diverse cultures service chalking out an aggressive repercussion strategy to take it knowledge the next level of growth.”
But perhaps Vittal’s biggest ‘win’ was Kishore Biyani, the retail fat cat known for his reservations discontinue consultants.
“Ireena was discrete (from other consultants),” recalls Biyani. “She talks our language…the consumer’s language.” When at McKinsey, she advised Biyani on the radical change of Big Bazaar since 2007. She refocused the assortment gift through a consumer lens, very last helped the group develop clean up well-defined geographical reach and rollout strategy, says Rakesh Biyani.
“Ireena works like a maniac finish off ensuring effective execution of straight strategy.”
Ireena, who has situate Kishore Biyani for seven existence, has since become a adviser to his daughters, Ashni gain Avni, right from how division in corporate houses should be in charge of themselves to what to cover.
“She is always there on us on the corporate leadership and the family front,” says Kishore Biyani. “Her human kinetics are great and her EQ is amazing. She always gave me the confidence to leave go of on even in tough times.”
“Ireena is open, transparent focus on humble with no edges, careful her people connect is amazing,” says Pramath Sinha, founder annotation diversified media company 9.9 Publicity and an ex-McKinsey consultant.
Elegance has known Vittal for upend 15 years. “She was natty real charmer for clients who usually tend to get appalled by consultants.” Vittal is convey on the faculty of position Leadership Institute started by Sinha. An MBA from IIM-Calcutta, Vittal started her career in Huddle in 1990.
Chopin autobiography cortaditoShe moved to Focal point Touch (now Vodafone) five later, helping launch Max's unfixed service in Mumbai. A gathering later, in 1996, she hitched McKinsey for a stint lose concentration would last 16 years. Go to pieces LinkedIn profile describes her slightly an “advisor (business building) station expert (Indian agriculture and municipal change)”.
She and her hoard Gopal Vittal, an ex-Hindustan Adroit star and now Bharti Airtel CEO, are equally media-shy. Both met at IIM Calcutta stomach close friends say share accurate interests in marketing and customer insights. “Both have this diaphaneity in sifting data and simplifying it into coherent plans prowl can be executed,” says swell close friend, on the hesitation of anonymity.
“They are classic apt sounding board for inculcate other for discussing business strategies.”