Meet Laxman Narasimhan, the man Reckitt Benckiser has named global CEO

Laxman Narasimhan the 2nd Indian after Rakesh Kapoor to lead the firm

British consumer goods major RB (Reckitt Benckiser) on Wednesday appointed PepsiCo’s Laxman Narasimhan its global chief executive officer (CEO), effective September 1. Narasimhan (51) will succeed incumbent Rakesh Kapoor, who will leave the company at the end of 2019, and is the second Indian to be appointed to the position at the firm.

A Pune university graduate, who has an MA in German and International Studies as well as an MBA in Finance, both from the University of Pennsylvania, was named chief commercial officer at PepsiCo in March. This was a newly created position by PepsiCo’s CEO Ramon Laguarta and came within seven years of Narasimhan joining the firm. Before joining Pepsico, he was associated with McKinsey & Co.
 

According to analysts, Narasimhan, who is considered a people’s person and is widely respected for the knowledge and insight of the consumer goods market that he brings to the table, will have the task of growing sales, as the British company fights competitive intensity both at home and abroad.

Kapoor had stepped down in January after a cyberattack, manufacturing glitches and other woes at Reckitt. The $14.3-billion firm said on Wednesday Narasimhan would directly lead the health care unit at Reckitt, one of the largest business segments for the company, even as he performed his role as CEO.

In India, Reckitt is best-known for brands such as Dettol, Harpic and Lizol. Recently, it has been pushing personal care brands such as Veet and Durex in India, as it widens its presence beyond home care and health care.

Kapoor incidentally was a regular visitor to India, having identified it as a strategic market, and Narasimhan, who has strong roots here having been born and brought up in Pune, is expected to follow suit.

Rajiv Bajaj, managing director, Bajaj Auto, who has known Narasimhan for nearly four decades through school and college, said he was always keen to make a mark globally. “Laxman is an inspiring leader, who can connect with people across the board, from top management to execution. He has a sharp focus on value creation and has delivered results across companies he has worked for even as he has built teams there,” Bajaj said.

Having lost his two siblings and father early in life, Narasimhan, said Bajaj, never let personal adversity come in the way of his drive to excel. “He is a versatile sportsman, has a lovely temperament and is thoughtful even as he remains ambitious and driven,” Bajaj said about Narasimhan, who can speak six languages.

In a statement on Wednesday, Reckitt’s Chairman Chris Sinclair said Narasimhan would be responsible for driving the company into the next decade under what he called ‘RB 2.0’, which is the firm’s vision document. His initial priorities, according to Sinclair, would be to build scale and operational efficiencies in health care.