Suresh Narayanan
Former Chairman & Managing Director, Nestlé India LtdSuresh Narayanan is a seasoned Consumer Goods professional who has handled a variety of functional and general management roles across different countries and challenges, with teamwork, discipline, and a passion for working with people enabling a strong track record of performance, credibility, and trust as a leader. Known as a grounded, pragmatic, and people-centric leader, he is a strong believer in nurturing talent and building skills in the people he leads.
Suresh's leadership has earned him several prestigious honours, including 'People Centric CEO' by The Economic Times, 'Best CEO – FMCG' (three consecutive years) by Business Today, 'Most Valuable CEO' by Business World, 'Best CEO – MNC Category' by Forbes, and 'Best CEO' by CNBC Awaaz, among others. Under his guidance, Nestlé India was recognized as 'MNC of the Year' by AIMA and 'Best Governed Company' by the Asian Centre for Corporate Governance & Sustainability.
He holds a master's degree from the Delhi School of Economics and completed an executive programme at IMD and London Business School, and was conferred an honoris causa Doctor of Philosophy in Management by Bennett University, India.
His appointment as Chairman & Managing Director of Nestlé India in 2015 — by the end of 2019, Nestlé India had recorded double-digit value growth over nine consecutive quarters. Under his leadership, the company also drove innovation across prepared dishes, breakfast cereals, milk and nutrition, coffee and beverages, and chocolates and confectionery, while diversifying the business through technology.
Beyond India, he held additional responsibility for Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, and has held leadership positions in international markets including Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Singapore, Egypt (North Africa Region), and the Philippines. He also served as Chairman of the CII National Committee on Food Processing Industries and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Advertising Standards Council of India.
