Anand Kripalu, former India head of beverages giant Diageo, has joined as the Managing Director and Global Chief Executive Officer.

Anand has over 30 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry.

Essel Propack is the leading global specialty packaging company, manufacturing laminated plastic tubes catering to the FMCG and Pharma space. Employing over 3,366 people, EPL functions in ten countries through 20 state-of-the-art facilities.

Prior to joining Blackstone backed Essel Propack, Anand spent seven years as the MD & CEO of Diageo India, India’s leading beverage alcohol company with $6.4 billion market cap. He was also a member of Diageo’s Global Executive Committee.

Prior to joining Diageo, Anand spent almost eight years with Mondelez International (formerly Cadbury) as the President of India and South East Asia business. Anand had also spent 22 years at

in various general management and sales and marketing roles.

“I look forward to working closely with Blackstone, who have a strong record in the B2B2C space, the Board, and the talented and devoted employees of EPL. We are committed to creating value and delight for all our stakeholders – customers, suppliers, employees, and shareholders,” said Kripalu.

“Anand’s credibility with customers in the consumer industry, proven track record as CEO of a large cap publicly listed company, and experience of driving growth at scale will enable EPL to reach new heights,” said Amit Dixit, Head of Asia for Blackstone Private Equity and Director on EPL’s board.

In August 2019, Blackstone had acquired about 75 per cent stake in Essel Propack in a deal worth $460 million (Rs 3,200 crore).

In September last year, the fund had sold about 23 per cent stake in Essel Propack, for $252 million (Rs 1850 crore).