Zomato's parent company introduces 'rotational leadership' CEO model

Eternal introduces a 'Rotational Leadership' model for Zomato, ensuring fresh energy and structural agility, with time-bound CEO roles and a focus on reducing complacency

Giving more details on its ‘Rotational Leadership’ model, Eternal—the parent company of Zomato and Blinkit—said that this approach brings structural agility to leadership, ensuring that no role becomes static and that fresh energy enters the system at regular intervals.

 

The company, while detailing the leadership model, stated that under this model, the CEO role of each business is time-bound, typically for a two-year term.

 

“Leaders move with urgency, knowing their window to create impact is finite. It reduces complacency, accelerates execution, and allows more diverse leadership styles to emerge. Over time, it also builds organisational muscle memory, as teams learn to operate independently of any one person, making us more resilient and adaptable as we grow,” said Deepinder Goyal, founder and CEO of Eternal. 

 

Two weeks ago, the group announced the appointment of Aditya Mangla as the CEO of Zomato, the food aggregator business. This is the first time in Zomato’s 17-year history that someone from product/engineering is leading the business. Goyal said, “I am super excited to see how Aditya shapes the future of Zomato over the next two years, until it is time to hand over the baton to someone else.”

 

Goyal also added that this model is designed to mitigate succession risk, decentralise execution, and future-proof the organisation. “It forces clarity in systems and builds companies that are led by principles, not personalities,” he added.

 

He also cautioned that ‘Rotational Leadership’ is not something that can be used for all companies at all points in time. “Only Zomato is at a point where rotational leadership makes sense to us so far. Looking ahead, at Zomato, we are working on grooming product and technology-first operators to lead our businesses in the future. This is already in motion, not just at the top, but across levels,” he added.

 

This model, according to Goyal, is useful where the culture values systems more than individuals, when companies have already achieved product-market fit, where companies operate in volatile markets, and where fresh leadership can bring new energy and approaches to fast-changing landscapes, and when building future leaders is a priority.