NEW DELHI: A 11-year veteran of Cadbury India has quit to head jeanswear brand Levi Strauss’ India operations in what is seen by insiders at the
chocolate maker as a fallout of its global merger with rival Kraft two months ago. Sanjay Purohit, Cadbury’s Asia-Pacific head for chocolates, was also an executive director in the company board. He will join the $4.1-billion Levi Strauss & Co as MD of its Indian operations.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I am quitting Cadbury. But I am equally excited to work with an iconic consumer brand with such an incredible heritage,” Mr Purohit told ET. Levi India’s MD Shumone Chatterjee will move into a regional role in the Asia-Pac region making way for Mr Purohit, said company officials.
US food major Kraft had acquired Cadbury in a $19.7 billion deal in January 2010. The maker of Oreo and Toblerone had recently announced a new structure for the chocolate maker’s key executives in India. Accordingly, Anand Kripalu, managing director of Cadbury India, will be part of Kraft’s Asia-Pacific team and report to Pradeep Pant, president of the new Kraft Foods Asia-Pacific region.
Mr Kripalu also gets additional responsibility for South Asia and Indo-China. Bharat Puri, senior vice-president, chocolates global category team, will continue in his current role.While neither Mr Purohit nor the company would give any reasons for his exit, Cadbury officials seeking anonymity told ET that he was expecting to be made the company MD. They said that Kraft had offered Mr Purohit a plum role in the merged entity’s Indian operations, but failed to satisfy him.
Mr Purohit was an ‘A’ lister, a top performer recognised within the system as one with potential to be groomed as a leader, in the Rs 2,000-crore firm. A marketing expert, he was the most visible face of the company that has been growing at an annual rate of 20% for the last three years. “Sanjay will join us at an exciting time when we celebrate our 15th year in India and gear up for more growth in a country of significant opportunities,” Aaron Boey, president of Levi Strauss Asia Pac, told ET. He is expected to join Levi India sometime in June 2010.
Cadbury India has delivered a 20% sales growth and a 30% jump in profit in the past three years. Cadbury also has a 70% market share in chocolates and a 30% share of the local confectionery market. Kraft’s interest in Cadbury globally was primarily to get an entry into emerging markets like India where the brand enjoys a dominant market share. Brands such as Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and Bournville has made India a money-spinner for the UK-based Cadbury’s. Sales has been growing at 20% for the last three years, and profit at 30%.
Levi Strauss & Co is one of the world’s largest branded apparel companies with brands such as Levi’s, Dockers San Francisco and Signature.
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