GCPL appoints Aasif Malbari MD & CEO as Sudhir Sitapati steps down

Malbari, previously GCPL's global CFO and president of Godrej Africa, takes charge with immediate effect; Vishal Kedia has been named interim chief financial officer

Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) appoints Aasif Malbari as its managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CFO) effective immediately as Sudhir Sitapati steps down. 

 

Prior to this, Malbari held the position of global chief financial officer and president of Godrej Africa in the company. 

 

He has three decades in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry and also the auto industry and has also served as the CFO at Tata Passenger Electric Mobility and Director at Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, where he played a key role in scaling the business significantly, including its reorganisation and a $1 billion fundraise in the electric vehicle business. Earlier in his career, he worked at Hindustan Unilever across a range of finance and business roles. 

 

 

“Aasif has delivered an outstanding transformation of GCPL’s Africa business. The business has rapidly grown its margin-accretive FMCG portfolio, headlined by the highly successful launch of our air care category, while strengthening the legacy hair fashion business. This has resulted in EBITDA margins growing significantly, from ₹9 per cent in FY24 to ₹15 per cent in FY26,” the company said in its stock exchange filing.  

Nisaba Godrej, executive chairperson of GCPL, said “As Global CFO, Aasif brings deep command of GCPL’s strategic and operating rhythm. He has also led an outstanding transformation of our Africa business and I believe it's exactly the kind of ambitious, disciplined execution rigour GCPL needs across all our businesses for our next chapter. Aasif leads with humility and integrity, and the Board and I have complete confidence in him to accelerate GCPL's growth alongside our very strong team.” 

 

She also thanked Sitapati for his bold thinking over the last five years. 

 

In his resignation letter, Sitapati said that leading GCPL has been one of the most rewarding experiences of his career. 

 

“I feel that the task I had set for myself here is done and this is the right time to move on. I am tendering my resignation with effect from Aug 11. I would be happy to fully support my successor through this transition period,” he wrote in his letter. 

 

Vishal Kedia has been appointed as the interim chief financial officer. He has been with the Godrej Group since November 2016 and currently leads the global strategy, financial planning and analysis and Investor Relations functions at GCPL.