Coca-Cola India Southwest Asia (INSWA) has announced the appointment of Desmond Nikhil D’Souza as the new Vice-President of Customer & Commercial Leadership (C&CL), effective February 1, 2025. D’Souza will succeed Greishma Singh, who has transitioned to the role of Vice-President of Marketing within the company.
D’Souza brings extensive experience and a proven track record in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector to his new role. Commenting on the appointment, Sanket Ray, President of Coca-Cola India Southwest Asia, praised D’Souza’s leadership qualities and strategic acumen. “With a distinguished track record of strategic vision and exemplary leadership in the FMCG industry, Desmond brings a wealth of experience and innovative ideas that align perfectly with our mission to drive customer satisfaction and commercial excellence,” Ray stated. “His understanding of market dynamics and customer engagement will be a cornerstone in achieving our growth objectives.”
As the new head of the C&CL function across INSWA, D’Souza will focus on driving value growth, strengthening partnerships with customers, and steering long-term commercial transformation strategies. His role is expected to play a pivotal part in the company’s efforts to achieve its ambitious growth and innovation goals.
Before joining Coca-Cola, D’Souza served as Vice-President of Sales at Mondelez, where his leadership was instrumental in expanding the company’s footprint, fostering digital innovation in sales, and building new commercial capabilities. His tenure at Mondelez saw significant growth, driven by initiatives that enhanced both scale and operational efficiency.
D’Souza’s career also includes key roles at PepsiCo, where he contributed to transformation initiatives and sales leadership, and at Zomato, where he worked on customer subscription strategies. His diverse professional background highlights his ability to operate successfully across sectors and functions, making him an asset to Coca-Cola’s leadership team.
Academically, D’Souza holds a postgraduate management degree from XLRI Jamshedpur and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU). His educational foundation, combined with his extensive industry experience, positions him well to lead Coca-Cola’s commercial transformation initiatives in the region.
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