Global specialty packaging company EPL Limited announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Anand Kripalu as the Managing Director and Global Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective August 18, 2021. He will be based in Mumbai.

Davinder Singh Brar, Chairman, EPL, stated, “I am delighted to welcome Anand as CEO and Managing Director of the company. Anand has an exceptional track record, deep understanding of evolving consumer trends, and unique ability to shape culture and talent of global organizations. We believe that Anand is the ideal leader for EPL’s next phase of growth. I would also like to thank Sudhanshu for his enormous contribution during a challenging period in strengthening EPL’s market leadership and wish him all the best for the future.”

An alumnus of IIT, Madras and IIM, Calcutta, Anand has over 30 years of experience in the FMCG industry. Prior to joining EPL, Anand spent seven years as the MD & CEO of Diageo India, India’s leading beverage alcohol company with $6.4 billion market cap, where he led the transformation of the company. He was also a member of Diageo’s Global Executive Committee. Prior to joining Diageo, Anand spent almost eight years with Mondelez International (earlier, Cadbury) as the President of India and South East Asia business. He was responsible for accelerating Cadbury India’s performance to deliver 25% y-o-y growth in revenue and profit over eight years. Before that, Anand spent 22 years at Unilever in various general management and sales and marketing roles.

Commenting on his appointment, Anand said “I am excited to lead EPL, an extraordinary company with global leadership in its segments and a pioneer in innovation and sustainability. It is one of the most successful multinational consumer companies headquartered out of India. I look forward to working closely with Blackstone, who have a strong record in the B2B2C space, the Board, and the talented and devoted employees of EPL. We are committed to creating value and delight for all our stakeholders – customers, suppliers, employees, and shareholders.”

Anand’s leadership approach has been built around sharp prioritization and focus, growing businesses and brands through innovation, transforming sales, driving productivity, while building an organization with the right structure, talent, and culture.It is this deep expertise EPL is hoping to leverage with this appointment for its next phase of growth.