Chitwan Singh
Cumming,USA
Summary
Growth-oriented, strategic, and agile business leader with extensive global FMCG experience in food, beauty, personal care, and home care, including 13 years in CEO-level positions. Managed businesses of varying sizes, some with complex manufacturing operations, and large teams. Developed new product categories from inception, and successfully navigated businesses in regions with high volatility. Skilled at nurturing teams, shaping culture, and driving transformative growth to build sustainably scaled businesses through a consumer-led approach.
Overview
29
29
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
CEO & Managing Director- Godrej North America
Godrej Consumer Products Ltd
10.2023 - Current
- Mandate to execute a significant business model transformation, to improve profitability (EBITDA +7%) and uncover new growth levers for this steady but stagnant hair care business to drive the next growth phase for the company.
- Key Achievements
- Steadied the business and stabilized the flux after a significant attrition and leadership transition. Building a new leadership team to deliver the next phase of growth. Driven an EBITDA growth of 50% and a working capital reduction (-20 days) in year 1
- Ensuring team morale and engagement are maintained during the execution phase of business transformation and transition, channelling the team’s energy to the company's long-term vision.
- Articulated the business blueprint for the future with the key tasks & growth levers while trying to simplify the business to make the business transition easier.
- Business continuity planning and risk mitigation levers have been formulated and are being put in place.
CEO & Managing Director– Godrej Nigeria
Godrej Consumer Products Ltd
03.2022 - 09.2023
- Nigeria is Godrej's third-biggest country globally & significant geography to drive future growth. It’s been chosen as a priority market for heavy investments and will become a global export hub for Hair care.
- Key Achievements
- Stabilized the ship during this outlier year (high inflation, significant depreciation in local currency, demonetization, and elections), steadied gross margins% back to normative. Re-modelled and transformed the GTM to bring scale and developed a strategic NPD portfolio, setting the base for explosive growth in FY24
- Developed, nurtured, and executed a succession plan for the entire West Africa leadership team
CEO -West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana & Senegal)
Godrej Consumer Products Ltd
10.2017 - 03.2022
- Mandated to drive long-term business growth and cultural integration of multiple acquired companies & make it a "future-ready" consumer-centric organization to unleash the potential of GCPL's global brands across personal, hair, and home care categories.
- Key Achievements
- It made the West Africa cluster the "growth engine" region for GCPL -Africa. Driving a 3X growth in 5 years on the topline and 5X on the bottom line, becoming a leading player (No. 1 or 2) in all categories we play in, with significant market share improvement (7%+) in our Hair categories (Darling & MegaGrowth), with a dramatic increase in Brand Equity and salience
- Nurturing and developing a core team with strong & highly engaged local talent, which augurs well for our future sustainability.
- Setting up many new avenues for potential future growth—a regional export base for West Africa for Wet Hair, direct-to-consumer (E-Com model), Retail Van distribution model, Door-to-door selling seeding model, Hub-and-Spoke Warehousing model pan Nigeria, among others. New Brands launched: Fresh Glow, TCB, Empress, and Good Knight.
Business Head – Packaged Foods (Biscuits) – Ghana Cluster
Olam International Ltd
01.2014 - 10.2017
- Tasked with turning around the ailing, medium-sized biscuits business Olam had acquired 4 years prior. With a complete revamp of strategy and relentless execution, completely turned around the business to become highly profitable (EBITDA 22%) and the No. 1 Biscuits Company in Ghana. This success has now become a showcase case study within the organization.
- Key Achievements
- Chalked out the new strategy, and in the most volatile macroeconomic period (the currency depreciated by over 100%), oversaw execution minutely to completely turn around the business in one and a half years.
- More than tripled in value to increase market share from 11% to 35% in 3 years, becoming the No. 1 Biscuits company. ($12m to $40Mn). Improved the gross margin from near zero to 32% to turn around the business. With improved sales, GM%, reduction in WC, and improved ROE to 48%, Reduced WC from 250+days to 30 days. EBITDA moved from a loss to 22%+
- Made all product development consumer centric. Relaunched old brands and developed and launched new ones from scratch, which have since taken-over the market.
- Transitioned from a company that was about to be closed, with a de-motivated staff, to a thriving team actively taking on more challenges.
Business Head – Packaged Foods -SA
Olam International Ltd
06.2012 - 01.2014
- Joined Olam as the Business Head of their Packaged Foods business for South Africa. The brand, Café Enrista, is into premixed 3in1 coffee and single-serve sachets, selling a range of coffees, cappuccinos, and hot chocolates. Mandate to bring scale and strategic direction to the business
- Key Achievements
- Restored Gross Margins, cost savings at material cost levels, changing pricing structures, and renegotiating with 3rd party agencies. Right sized OHs by about 27% from last year. Gained 4% market share from Nestle in the segments we play in.
- Developed the brand seed and identity based on consumer studies (U&A conducted with extensive qualitative research) and actively used it to create new packaging, POSM.
- Opened new market opportunities: Exports to SADC countries: appointed distributors in Namibia and Botswana. Opened new accounts like Makro & Game. Started a Franchise vending Kiosk model under the Brand Café Enrista. Sold three franchise units.
Business Head –Modern Trade
Britannia Industries Ltd
07.2010 - 05.2012
- Business Responsibility for the rapidly evolving Channel, nationally, handling all categories of Britannia (Biscuits, Cakes, Rusk, Cheese, UHT, Ghee, Butter, Dairy whitener, Milk-based Beverages, Fresh Yoghurt, Snacks, Breakfast, chocolates)
Group Product Manager – Adult Health &Wellness
Britannia Industries Ltd
11.2006 - 07.2010
- Responsible for Britannia's Adult Health & Wellness category, consisting of Mariegold, NutriChoice & Rusks, a portfolio of over Rs 600 cr pa, with an advertising budget of close to Rs 30 Cr. Managed a team of 3 Brand Managers. KPIs were topline, bottom-line, GM%, Market share, and Brand Health scores.
Escorts Construction Equipment Ltd
06.1996 - 09.1997
Key Account & Sales Development Manager
Britannia Industries Ltd
11.2004
- Set up the Sales Development cell for Britannia, which entailed defining and scoping out work areas in Modern Trade, Alternate Channels (institutions), CSD, developing and rolling out Secondary Sales Billing software at the Distributor's end, Sales Training, and rural Distribution Expansion.
Other Sales Management Roles
Britannia Industries Ltd
03.2001
- Sales Operations Manager, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh: ASM—Snack Food Division, South & Area Sales Manager, Andhra Pradesh
Education
PGDBM - Marketing
SPJIMR
Mumbai05-2000
B.E - Mechanical
Delhi College of Engineering
Delhi06-1996
AISSCE - CBSE
Springdales School
Dhaula Kuan, N. Delhi04-1992
Skills
- Business transformation
- Crisis management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Strategic planning
- Inspirational leadership
- Incubating New Categories
- Supply chain optimization
- Marketing Strategy
- Operational efficiency
Certification
- Strategic Brand Management-ISB, 2008
- Excellence in operational efficiency - MIT Sloan School of Management, 2016
- Negotiation Skills- Harvard Business School, 2024
- Digital Marketing-Harvard Business School, 2025
Timeline
CEO & Managing Director- Godrej North America
Godrej Consumer Products Ltd
10.2023 - Current
CEO & Managing Director– Godrej Nigeria
Godrej Consumer Products Ltd
03.2022 - 09.2023
CEO -West Africa (Nigeria, Ghana & Senegal)
Godrej Consumer Products Ltd
10.2017 - 03.2022
Business Head – Packaged Foods (Biscuits) – Ghana Cluster
Olam International Ltd
01.2014 - 10.2017
Business Head – Packaged Foods -SA
Olam International Ltd
06.2012 - 01.2014
Business Head –Modern Trade
Britannia Industries Ltd
07.2010 - 05.2012
Group Product Manager – Adult Health &Wellness
Britannia Industries Ltd
11.2006 - 07.2010
Key Account & Sales Development Manager
Britannia Industries Ltd
11.2004
Other Sales Management Roles
Britannia Industries Ltd
03.2001
Escorts Construction Equipment Ltd
06.1996 - 09.1997
PGDBM - Marketing
SPJIMR
B.E - Mechanical
Delhi College of Engineering
AISSCE - CBSE
Springdales School
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