United Breweries Limited (UBL), a subsidiary of the Heineken Company, has named Vivek Gupta as managing director and chief executive, starting September 25, according to a stock exchange filing. Gupta has spent over two decades at P&G in leadership and commercial capacities, working across many categories ranging from everyday use to luxury. His most recent post at P&G was managing director of Australia and New Zealand. He comes to UBL from the B2B portal Udaan.
Gupta, together with the UBL executive team, will be responsible for guiding the company's long-term success. He will oversee the premiumization of UBL's portfolio, including the enhancement of Kingfisher's iconic status.
“We are thrilled to have Vivek lead UBL at such a critical time. We recognize his resilience in building businesses and brands at a fast pace and in a complex environment. He brings solid global experience deeply rooted in India and has had substantial success in commercial and complex companies in traditional and digital environments," Jacco van der Linden, Regional President APAC of HEINEKEN, and Member of the UBL Board, said.
Gupta's appointment follows Rishi Pardal's departure on February 16th, which was followed by a six-month notice period. Since then, there has been a leadership void at the organization. Gupta will serve as MD and CEO for five years, with the possibility of extension subject to shareholder approval, according to the company's filing.Gupta (47) is an engineer with a Master's degree in business management from IIM Ahmedabad.
UBL is the largest brewer in India.The producer of Kingfisher beer announced standalone revenues of 16,692 crore in FY23.