Rajeev Bakshi bids adieu to PepsiCo

Bakshi has spent six years with PepsiCo in various roles and capacities

Rajeev Bakshi, commercial operations head for PepsiCo APAC, has put in his papers. Based in the company’s Asian headquarters in Hong Kong, Bakshi relocated to take over his new role a year ago.

When contacted, Abhiram Seth, executive director, exports and external affairs, PepsiCo India, confirms Bakshi’s exit and says that Bakshi’s move is purely due to personal reasons. A media report seconded his view. Bakshi, however, was unavailable for comment, despite consistent efforts. However, it is learnt that Bakshi, who is set to return to India, is eyeing the private equity space for his comeback.

Bakshi, for whom the Hong Kong assignment was his first ever outside the country with PepsiCo, was responsible for key functions such as business development, innovation and insights and sales capability for PepsiCo Asia across the company’s foods and beverages portfolio.

Bakshi was in charge of the APAC operations and, interestingly, this move comes after a major shuffle in the restructuring of PepsiCo’s markets. The company has split two of its fastest growing markets, India and China, into two separate divisions. Commencing January 1, 2008, India will be a part of South Asia Middle East Africa (SAMEA), a unit that will merge the West Asia and Africa regions with Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. The other division comprises China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and a few other markets.

Rajeev Bakshi

Bakshi took over the baton from PM Sinha as chairman, Pepsi, India, in 2001. In that role, he was put in charge of the markets in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. When Bakshi assumed his new role in Hong Kong last year, Sanjeev Chadha, previously vice-president, PepsiCo Asia, and a 16 year PepsiCo veteran, succeeded Bakshi as general manager, beverage business, PepsiCo India.

Bakshi has spent 28 years in some of the leading FMCG companies of the country. He began his career in 1979 as a management trainee at Lakme. His appointment as Lakme’s marketing head in 1986 gave his career a tremendous spurt. After three years, he was given the responsibility of looking after the company’s overall sales. Cadbury India happened to him in 1992, and he joined there as sales and marketing director. He moved up the ladder as regional marketing director, London, then managing director, India/South Asia, and finally managing director, South Africa.

In another restructuring which took place at the beginning of this month, Manu Anand, managing director, FritoLay’s India (PepsiCo’s foods business in India), has been made responsible for heading the foods and beverages business for PepsiCo in South East Asia; the key markets here are Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Gautham Mukkavilli, currently managing director, Thailand, will step into Anand’s shoes as managing director for PepsiCo’s foods business in India. Both Anand and Mukkavilli will assume their new roles in two months’ time.

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