Sudhir Pai - Vice President & Head of HAMLEYS Business (INDIA) - Reliance Industries Limited (Retail Business)

A Science Graduate from University of Mumbai majoring in Chemistry ,with a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from the same university ,Sudhir has been an accomplished Sales & Marketing Professional with over 30 years of rich experience in Industries such as FMCG (UniLever in India, Gillette India , Godfrey Phillips India Limited –an associate of Philip Morris), Consumer Durables (Titan Watches, Blow Plast Ltd –VIP Luggage) and Retail (Shopper’s Stop Limited , Reliance Industries Limited)

Having started his professional career with a brief stint in advertising ,he has spent a fairly large part of his career so far in Brand Management, Sales Management and Retailing .The highlights of his career till now, have been the pioneering efforts that he has put in the areas of Sales Promotion with companies like Godfrey Phillips India Limited (an associate of Philip Morris) and Gillette, & for more than a decade so far in organized retail and Franchising;

He has contributed significantly to the retail might of brands like ‘TITAN’ watches &’ VIP’luggage. To that extent he can be called one of the select few true blooded, organized retail professionals in the country with matching experiences and achievements to boot. Sudhir has worked extensively in Trade Sales ;both as a part of old economy companies as well as the Modern Trade .

Immediately prior to joining Reliance Industries Limited (Retail Business) Sudhir was a member of the Core Management Team at Shopper’s Stop Limited –India’s Premier Retail Organization .Sudhir’s responsibilities at Shopper’s Stop Limited covered International Business Development and New Initiatives for the K Raheja (Promoters of Shopper’s Stop Limited) Group of Companies . Sudhir has spearheaded the sign-ups & subsequent successful launches in India of Internationally renowned brands such as Mothercare of UK and M.A.C. /Clinique from the Estee Lauder Group of Companies.

In his assignment as the Vice President-Alliances & Partnerships and as a responsible member of the Senior Management Team ,he could lend his proven expertise to the multi faceted Industrial behemoth of India , Reliance Industries Limited, the single largest Private enterprise in India, to pursue aggressively it’s forays into organized retail , setting new benchmarks in the Indian Retail scenario in the time to come ..

Sudhir has been instrumental in the sign ups of Reliance Retail’s Joint Ventures with Pearl Europe for Optical & Eyewear products , Acquisition of e Office Planet along with Office Depot of USA (a JV is on the anvil with Office Depot) , and a Pan India Exclusive Franchise alliance with the World’s Finest Toys –Hamleys of UK .

Sudhir has recently been nominated by the Top Leadership of Reliance Retail as the Key Person for the Hamleys Business and consequently head the Business in India .