Mars Wrigley India announced the appointment of Nikhil Rao as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) today.
In this key leadership position, Rao will spearhead strategic initiatives, and direct the end-to-end execution of Mars Wrigley’s portfolio strategy in India. He will be based in the Gurgaon corporate office and will report to Tamer Kadry, Country General Manager, Mars Wrigley India.
Tamer Kadry, Country General Manager, Mars Wrigley India said, “I am delighted to welcome Nikhil as our Chief Marketing Officer and key member of the India Leadership Team. The India business is on a growth trajectory, and our constant endeavor has been to drive relevance, be consumer-focused and agile. Nikhil will play a pivotal role in ensuring that Mars Wrigley India continues innovating in the face of new and dynamic competition and ever-evolving consumer trends. His wealth of knowledge and experience will be instrumental in shaping and executing our long-term growth plans for India. He will contribute significantly to enhancing experiences with our iconic brands, much loved by our customers and consumers.”
Nikhil Rao commented, “I am excited to join Mars, a global leader in snacking, food, and petcare products and services, strongly driven by a powerful purpose – ‘The world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today’ and founded on the Five Principles of Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom. Mars Wrigley India is one of the fastest-growing business units for Mars, presenting an immense opportunity to shape the strategy further and drive the iconic brands and their execution to best-in-class levels. Mars has a unique, cohesive, and vibrant culture. I look forward to embarking on this journey with an incredible team of passionate Associates at a time when both Mars and India are poised for the next phase of growth.”
Rao joins Mars Wrigley India from Mondelez where he was the Vice President – Marketing for Mondelez Southeast Asia (SEA). With a career spanning nearly 25 years, Rao has successfully traversed global, regional, and local BU roles in sales and marketing during his tenure across Cadbury/Kraft/Mondelez.
Rao is an alumnus of IIT, Madras, and IIM, Calcutta.