Lal will focus on advisory roles and Mor will concentrate in areas of financial access and healthcare
Cipla has appointed Punita Lal and Dr Nachiket Mor as the independent directors on its board effective November 13, 2014.
Lal is a graduate in Economics from St Stephens College, New Delhi and PGDM from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata. Post a successful executive career, Lal is now focused on advisory roles. She sits on the Board of CEAT as an independent director, is an independent strategy and marketing consultant and is also affiliated with a global firm as a leadership coach.
In her last role, Lal was the Chief Executive Officer, NourishCo, a JV between PepsiCo and Tatas, where she was responsible for establishing and growing the business, and launching two beverage innovations in the first year of JV operations. An FMCG specialist, Lal worked in different senior marketing positions with Coca-Cola in China and the Far East until 2002. She then joined PepsiCo as the Head of Marketing for their South Asia business unit, where she was responsible for devising marketing and portfolio strategy across PepsiCo’s beverage brands in South Asia. Lal began her career in the advertising industry where she worked for leading advertising firms — Lintas and J Walter Thompson.
Mor is a Yale World Fellow, has a Ph.D. in Economics from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, with a specialisation in Finance from the Wharton School; a MBA in Finance from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad; and a BS in Physics from the Mumbai University. Mor is currently on the Board of CRISIL as an Independent Director and also serves on the Boards of Reserve Bank of India, IKP Trust and CARE India in a similar capacity.
Mor worked with ICICI from 1987 to 2007 and was a member of its Board of Directors from 2001 to 2007. From 2007 to 2011, he served as the founding President of ICICI Foundation and during this period was also the Chair of the Governing Council of IFMR Trust and Board Chair of Financial Inclusion Network & Operations (FINO). In the past he has also served as a Board Member of Wipro for five years and Board Chair of the Fixed Income Money Market and Derivatives Association of India for two years.
Dr YK Hamied, Chairman, Cipla said, “We believe that Lal’s proven experience in a marketing and advisory role will add value to our Cipla board.”
Lal said: “I have long admired Cipla as a company that bridges the frontiers of science and humanity, and look forward to being part of this continuing journey.”
Welcoming his appointment, Hamied said, “Mor is a pioneer in the banking and financial industry. His experience and passion in the areas of financial access and healthcare will be extremely valuable and a great asset to the Cipla board.”
Mor said, “Cipla’s global contribution to the cause of reducing the burden of HIV/AIDs and its efforts to make low-cost medicines universally available are both well known. As a member of their Board I look forward to learning more about the industry and Cipla’s role in it.”
EP News Bureau – Mumbai