Vijay K. Rekhi

Founder Chairman

Core Competency

Leadership & Strategic Management

A strategic mind and an innovative ideas man, Vijay’s role at the helm of United Spirits enabled the company to become a strong global player in the alcobev domain. The many scotch and admixed brands that he helped to integrate into the company have become leaders in their price segments. His successful track record with the UB Group, including leadership of McDowell’s, Carew Phipson, Herbertsons and other group companies, is undisputed and well acknowledged. He brings over four decades of experience and associations to his clients.

Experience

Vijay has held leadership positions in various capacities since 1986. He was Chairman - Executive Committee of United Spirits, Bangalore till April 2014, before which he was President & Managing Director and Deputy President (1993-2011). From 1989-92 Vijay steered Berger Paints as Regional Director, North America & Caribbean and was also the Chief Executive Officer of UB Group’s Carew Phipson Ltd. in Kolkata for four years. Prior to this, he headed Herbertsons, Mumbai as Director – Marketing & Sales for alcobev & FMCG products.

Education

Vijay holds exemplary academic credentials and is a graduate from programmes at Harvard Business School (HBS), Wharton Business School, the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA), Delhi School of Economics (DSE) and Shriram College of Commerce & Economics (SRCC).

N. Janardana Menon

Senior Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Distillation, Maturation & Product Development

Janardan has over five decades of experience in the Indian alcobev industry that has covered brewing, distillation & fermentation, grape & malt spirit production & maturation, blending & bottling, as well as product development & quality control.

Experience

Having set up United Spirits’ first technical center much ahead of the rest of the industry, Janardan was responsible for the development of some of the most popular brands in the company’s portfolio. He was also involved with the management team in acquiring distilleries, expansion of existing units and setting up malt & grape spirit production and maturation facilities.

Development of blends & flavours, setting up of malt spirit plants & maturation facilities and procurement of special spirits are his core competencies. His expertise stems from his extensive experience and exposure to distilleries worldwide.

Education

A postgraduate in chemistry, Janardan also holds a diploma in alcohol technology from HBTI, Kanpur and brewing technology from Siebel Institute, Chicago.

He was a member of the BIS Standards Committee for Alcoholic & Carbonated Beverages and the AIDA Technical Committee.

Dr. Binod K. Maitin

Senior Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Analytical Flavour and Product Development

Binod is a highly accomplished scientific and technical expert with more than four decades of extensive experience, vast knowledge and a proven track record of high achievement in the areas of new product development for beverages & flavors, quality management, analytical & sensory sciences and technical support & training.

Experience

Binod’s experience spans over 42 years, of which he spent 25 years in United Spirits and the rest in several reputed academic and industrial organisations, including Shriram Institute for Industrial Research, The Queen’s University of Belfast and Central Ground Water Board. As the Head of the Technical Centre of United Spirits, he led a team of highly driven professionals.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London and member of the expert panel of Jury for Tasting & Judging of Spirit Products in international competitions, namely- IWSC, London and ISW, Germany.

Education

Binod has an excellent academic record with an M.Sc. in analytical chemistry from Allahabad University and a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Queen’s University of Belfast, UK. His other certified qualifications include Total Quality Management & HACCP from AOTS, Japan and Lead Assessor by Naville – Clarke, UK.

He has published and presented more than 50 papers on various aspects of analytical & sensory sciences, quality, beverages and new product development.

Devendar N. Sapra

Senior Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Brewery Operations

A beer industry veteran, the entrepreneurial spirit is characteristic of Devendar. He has worked in various global locations and held several leadership positions. Devendar has created several iconic brews for United Breweries in India, UK and USA, working closely with the regulatory, senior management and production teams. Technical guidance on quality, efficiency and productivity improvement through audits and advisory are his special skills.

Experience

Devendar started his career as an Assistant Brewer in UK before joining United Breweries in Bangalore where he held the responsibility for managing 23 breweries. Devendar has the unique distinction of working in a composite brewery and distillery.

Education

Devendar holds a dual postgraduate degree in organic chemistry and brewing science from reputed universities including the University of Birmingham, UK. He has attended several programs on management & industrial relations and human resources at XLRI.

T. K. Subramanian

Senior Associate

Core Competency

IT Innovation & Strategy Implementation

Subramanian is a champion of IT innovation, integration and implementation, aligned to enterprise business strategy. He holds the distinction of conceptualizing and building solutions for extended enterprise portals to collaborate with suppliers, partners and other associates. The hallmark of his career has been the nimble upgradation in emerging domains with minimal costs through an extensive knowledge of hardware, service providers and supplier relationships.

Experience

Subramanian has held leadership positions in various companies in a career spanning over four decades. He has shaped the IT vision of a seamless workflow for internal and external stakeholders, communication and collaboration being the key objectives.

Education

Subramanian holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Calicut and a postgraduate diploma in management science from Mumbai University. Winner of several awards and recognitions for his stellar role in moving and shaping information systems in the industry, Subramanian is regularly quoted by CIO and CXO magazines.

Sudhir K. Rastogi

Senior Associate

Core Competency

Quality Control & Assurance

Sudhir has an innovative and a contemporary approach to technical subjects. He is a firm believer in the simplification of any process by making it user friendly. He believes in training, knowledge sharing and empowering the team.

Experience

Sudhir has had a long-standing association of forty years with the food and beverage industry, including with Jagatjit Industries and the UB Group. He was instrumental in developing the QC and QA procedures in the alcobev industry. He has strong capabilities in process control, packaging development, value engineering and research & development. He has proven credentials in distillery management as well as corporate quality management, having managed more than 100 units spread across the country.

Education

Sudhir holds a postgraduate degree in chemistry followed by various certificate courses such as Six Sigma and lean manufacturing, including residential courses in quality management from TMTC, Pune and total quality management from AOTC, Kansai, Japan.

He has been a member of the technical committees of various institutions, such as Committee for Metal Containers of IIP, Mumbai and Glass Sectional Committee of Bureau of Indian Standards. He has been a guest speaker at various seminars on packaging.

Satish Nair

Senior Associate

Core Competency

Supply Chain & Logistics

‘Eye for detail,’ ‘excellent negotiation skills’ and ‘resourceful team leader’ best describe Satish. He was an integral part of the USL growth and success story. He has held several leadership positions for supply chain and logistics in various innovation teams in areas such as business process restructuring, ERP and systems implementation and packaging development.

Experience

Satish has over thirty-five years of experience in all areas of supply chain and logistics, of which he spent twenty-eight years in the alcobev industry. Satish’s work at United Spirits was spread across manufacturing units and regional offices, heading the supply chain and logistics of the packaging and allied materials group.

Education

Satish is a science graduate with postgraduate diploma in materials management from reputed universities.

T. V. Subramanian

Senior Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Business & Market Intelligence

T.V.S. has a composed and analytical mind with an ability to extract meaningful business insights from market trends and data. This enables him to help organizations build strategies that ultimately contribute to the P&L.

Experience

Over three decades of managerial experience in various domains like general management, regulatory management, distribution, logistic, MIS, finance and commercial in sectors such as alcobev and FMCG, as well as industrial products and pharmaceutical bulk drugs businesses. He has extensive knowledge of all Indian state excise policies, rules, regulations and market insight relevant to the alcobev business from his valuable time spent at United Spirits.

Education

M.Com, Grad CWA, PGDSM. T.V.S. has an excellent academic record at top-rated Universities and institutions like Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC), Delhi, Indian Institute of Costs & Works Accountants of India, NIIT and the Senior Management Course at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Shefali Kotnala

Senior Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Marketing & PR Management

A corporate marketing professional, Shefali has led various successful campaigns such as policy changes to mobilize public opinion, multi-country product showcases across FMCG and IT verticals and bilateral FDI campaigns for ruling political parties.

Experience

Shefali has over 20 years of experience in PR. She has held leadership positions in India and a contributing APAC role during her stint in shaping public policy in the healthcare sector. Shefali was the Marketing Services Lead at United Spirits from 2007 to 2014. Before joining USL, She was the Healthcare Practice Lead for Weber Shandwick with a P&L responsibility for the company’s Bangalore operations between 2001 and 2007. She was accorded the APAC leadership award at Weber Shandwick for the visionary shift in top line and a sustained, aggressive momentum in the company’s business. Shefali started her PR career with the legendary Ogilvy & Mather, where she was recognized as a star performer by their India management team.

Education

Shefali graduated from Delhi University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a diploma in mass communications. She pursued her MBA after joining Ogilvy & Mather, honing her business management skills.

Gerald G. D'Souza

Senior Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Training & Human Capital

Gerald is best known for his calm and positive approach to the most critical and sensitive asset of any company – the human resources. He has championed transition management through the several mergers and acquisitions that he witnessed during his career.

Experience

Gerald is a problem solver. He has held various positions in HR across diverse industry verticals. He led the HR team at United Spirits for fifteen years, spearheading the seamless integration and consolidation of the several acquisitions made by the company during this time. He introduced several programs and processes to bring international finesse to large Indian home bred companies.

Education

Gerald is a graduate in western philosophy and holds a master’s degree in human resources & industrial relations from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. He has also attended several short training courses to hone his professional skills.

Mahesh Nedungadi (MN)

Senior Advisor – Legal & Secretarial

Core Competency

Corporate Legal & Secretarial Affairs

A Law Graduate and Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries, Mahesh has been a Senior General Manager Senior General Manager- Legal with United Spirits Limited. He was also a Director in various UB group companies. Mahesh also has exposure to legal issues in various industries such as Spirits, Airlines, Aagri-live stocks and Plantation.

Experience

Mahesh has over thirty years’ experience, two thirds of which was as Senior General Manager Legal with United Spirits Ltd.

Areas of expertise include:

Intellectual Property - Managing the intellectual property of the company like trademarks, designs, copy rights etc.; Litigation - Independently handling litigation of the company to ensure that the legal risks of the Company are minimized; Contracts and Agreements - Drafting of various agreements including Joint Venture agreements, Foreign Collaboration agreements, transfer of Technical Know-how agreements Sponsorship agreements, Commercial License agreements, Contract manufacturing agreements, Trade Mark User Agreements, Franchise agreements, Confidentiality & Non-disclosure agreements, Agreements for transfer of business undertakings etc.; Legal Compliance - Company Secretarial, Mergers & Amalgamations and Real Estate.

Education

Mahesh is a Law Graduate (LLB) from Bangalore University and a qualified Fellow Member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (FCS)

Rajshekhar Nambiar (Raj)

Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Quality Assurance

Raj is a specialist in Quality Assurance and Process Standardization. He has skills in packaging design, development and standardization and experience in Malt Spirit production and maturation, Extra Neutral Alcohol Production, Blending and quality control in Spirits Production.

Experience

Raj worked for nearly 30 years with United Spirits in the above domains. Earlier to that he spent time in Distillation and Fermentation at the famed Jagajit Industries.

Education

After his graduating with a Bachelor of Science from Delhi University, Raj further went on to do Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Fermentations and Alcohol Technology from National Sugar Institute, Kanpur. He also attended Management Development Programme at IIM, Ahmedabad.

Pramod Krishna (PK)

Principal Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Alcobev Industry Insights & External Relations

After a two decade distinguished service with Armed Forces and a stint with a business house in alcobev domain, Pramod donned the anchor role as Director General & CEO of CIABC ( Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies) the Apex body of the Indian Alcobev Sector having all the Multinationals & Domestic Companies operating in India as members.

Experience

As Director General CIABC, his multifarious responsibilities  included in Regulatory framework and compliance, Legal issues, Feasibility and Research Studies, Interaction with other Industry Bodies, Responsible Drinking Campaigns, Investment Advisory, Speaker at  International Conferences etc and  extensive visits to Distilleries in Scotland & Wineries in France & Napa Valley make him an ideal experienced all round advisor. Additionally, Pramod was Resident Representative and Advisor to International Wines & Spirits Record IWSR - A London based Research Company which does a Report for 64 Countries on the Wines & Spirits Sector is a feather in his cap.

Education

Graduated from National Defense Academy Kharakwasla,  Pune BA ( Hons) JNU Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing from IMM, New Delhi

Pundlik Kalburgi

Senior Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Business Strategy, Marketing & Sales & New Product Development

Pundlik is an “Alcobev Start-up Specialist” and an astute professional with an analytic bent of mind and an eye for detail – qualities which help him in the holistic planning and implementation of Marketing & Sales strategies for alcohol brands.

Experience

Pundlik has more than 18 years of experience across various Sales & Marketing roles in the areas of Business Strategy, New Product Development, Brand Management, Sales & Distribution, Trade Marketing, and Key Accounts Management. Prior to joining Vizanar Alcobev Advisors Pundlik garnered expertise at leading Alcobev firms including United Breweries, Diageo, John Distilleries, Allied Blenders & Distillers and Unibev Limited.

Education

A Commerce Graduate from Karnataka University, Belgaum, Pundlik went on to pursue his MBA in Marketing from M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Management, Bangalore. His passion for building great brands as well as business management, led him to attend a Management Development Programme in Advanced Brand Management from the renowned Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Bangalore.

Mr. S.R. Ainapur

Senior Associate & Advisor

Core Competency

Commercial Finance, Accounting & Compliances

S. R. Ainapur is a wizard at various commercial and compliance related matters with a vast array of alcobev industry experience under his belt.

Experience

Mr. Ainapur has 35 years of experience in the IMFL Industry across the Accounts, Finance, and Commercial Functions. His previous work experience includes time spent at McDowell & Company Ltd. (now United Spirits Ltd) across various designations, including serving as Accounts Manager in the Goa Factory, and as Regional Finance Head across South, North and West Regions. He has experience across Regional Finance Fund Management, Accounts, Statutory Audit, Accounts Receivables Management, and Regional Legal Matters.

Education

Mr. Ainapur has earned a Business Commerce Degree from Karnataka University,Dharwad, and is an accredited Chartered Accountant through ICAI New Delhi. He has also attended Senior Management courses from XLRI Jamshedpur in 2001 and IIM Bangalore in 2011.