NEW DELHI: Chocolate and confectionery major Mars Wrigley has roped in former Unilever senior executive Kalpesh Parmar as the new general manager for India. In a statement, the company on Tuesday said Parmar will be based out of the company’s Gurgaon office and will also be a member of Mars Wrigley’s Global Emerging Markets Leadership Team.
Parmar succeeds Andrew Leakey, who has moved to Australia as general manager. Associated with Unilever for the past 12 years, Parmar was most recently leading the operations of the company for South Korea, Pacific Islands and Mongolia. He was also managing the Ice Cream business in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan and has worked with Gillette and Marico in India prior to Unilever as well.
An alumnus of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Parmar is a seasoned business leader with 21 years of experience in consumer industry spanning across South Korea, Singapore, Dubai, Turkey, Nigeria and India, with specific focus on business development, brand building, route to market, e-commerce and capability building, the company added.
Mars, among the world’s largest food companies, entered India in 2002 and runs business under four divisions: Mars Wrigley, Mars Petcare, Mars Food, Royal Canin. The company sells popular brands such as M&M’s, Milky Way, Orbit, Skittles, Dove, and Pedigree pet food among others.