Zubair Ahmed to head OTC biz of GSKCH-Novartis JV in Asia and Africa

GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare (GSKCH) has named Zubair Ahmed, Senior Vice President, Indian Sub-continent, as the Head of the Asia-Pacific, West Asia and Africa regions for its proposed joint venture with the pharmaceutical firm Novartis’ over-the-counter (OTC) business.
 
In April, GSK and Novartis had said they would be bringing their consumer health care businesses in a JV, to operate under the GSKCH name and be run by the management belonging to the latter, headed by Emma Walmsley. GSK would own 63.5 per cent of the new venture, retaining full control of operations in India and Nigeria.
 
Ahmed, who joined GSKCH in 2007, would in his new role oversee a little over 100 countries, a significant step up from the three markets of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh he currently handles.
 
“The role expansion has been announced as a part of the integration planning process for the proposed JV with Novartis,” GSKCH said in a press release. Ahmed, it added, is to take over his new role following closure of the deal, expected in the first half of 2015.
 
Ahmed, a graduate from St Stephen's College, Delhi, has worked abroad while at Gillette and Unilever, companies where he put in at least 10 years. To him goes the credit of helping the Rs 4,683-crore GSKCH make the transition from a largely beverage company, driven by Horlicks, to stepping into packaged foods and moving into areas such as oral care. And, strengthening its OTC portfolio by launching new product formats of Eno, the popular antacid.