MUMBAI: A middle child is considered rather unlucky and neglected. Branded variously as peacemakers or people-pleasers, rarely do they pip their siblings, particularly in family businesses. But, there are a few exceptions – like 39-year-old Nisaba Godrej.
For long, Nisa, as she’s called, was seen as the ideal candidate to succeed industry veteran Adi Godrej. On Wednesday, it’ll be a reality, as the young Harvard graduate assumes a bigger role to be the Executive Chairperson of Godrej Group’s flagship firm, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), which sells brands like Cinthol and Goodknight.
Taking over the baton from group patriarch Adi Godrej may seem like ‘big-shoes-to-fill’, but those who know Nisa say she’s a natural in the spotlight.
She turned around Godrej Agrovert in one of her very first assignments. A champion of women’s empowerment, she silenced naysayers by balancing work-life priorities. She once attending a board meeting with her one-month-old son Zoran.
Starting as an intern in the company, she worked her way up in a really short time.
In fact, GCPL’s growth in the past decade is largely attributed to her forward-thinking strategy to pursue organic growth in domestic market and inorganic growth in emerging markets.
She pursued a string of acquisitions including hair extension brands like Kinky, Tura, Darling and Frika in Africa. Nisa focused on ramping up presence in the UK, Indonesia, Latin America and Africa.
This turbo-charged expansion led to spectacular growth in the international business, which now accounts for nearly half its overall sales.
“I feel very confident that Nisa will be an outstanding Executive Chairperson. Over the past decade, I have worked closely with her and seen her deliver tremendous results,” Adi Godrej said in a statement on Tuesday.
In the one decade, Nisa’s design-driven approach catapulted GCPL’s market capitalisation 20-fold from Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 60,000 crore now.