Mars Wrigley India has announced the appointment of Nikhil Rao as its new chief marketing officer (CMO). In this key leadership position, Rao will steer the marketing vision, spearhead strategic initiatives and direct the end-to-end execution of Mars Wrigley’s portfolio strategy in India.
Rao will be based in the Gurgaon corporate office and will report to Tamer Kadry, country general manager, Mars Wrigley India.
Talking about the appointment, Tamer Kadry, country general manager, Mars Wrigley India, said, “I am happy 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. Rao 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.”
Prior to this, Rao has worked with Mondelez as vice president – marketing for Mondelez Southeast Asia (SEA).
With a career spanning nearly 25 years, Rao has traversed global, regional and local BU roles in sales and marketing during his tenure across Cadbury/Kraft/Mondelez. Additionally, he is an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta.
“I am excited to join Mars. 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 added.