Group: TRUSTED SHOP: LARGE FORMAT/HYPER MARKET/DEPT. STORE

Kavindra Mishra, the CEO and MD of Shoppers Stop, is a seasoned retailer with over 25 years of experience in retail, brand management, and business development. He has worked with both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar businesses, building national and international brands across categories like menswear, kidswear, women’s ethnic and western wear.

Before joining Shoppers Stop, Kavi served as the Managing Director & CEO at House of Anita Dongre Ltd and CEO at Pepe Jeans London, where he spearheaded a remarkable turnaround, making it one of the most aspirational denim brands in the country. Kavi’s leadership roles at international brands such as United Colors Of Benetton, Tommy Hilfiger, and Nokia India showcased his prowess in retail operations, business development, and brand management. His entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found Zovi.Com, an online apparel and lifestyle brand funded by Tiger Global and Saif, where he played a pivotal role in its establishment and growth.

 Kavi’s deep understanding of qualities like endurance, resilience, and goal-setting is a result of his passion for marathon running, with over 50 Half Marathons under his belt across continents. Bringing his wealth of experience and lessons learned from marathon pursuits, Kavi joined Shoppers Stop in early 2023 as the Chief Commercial Officer – External Brands & CEO Home, where he led and revamped the Home Category in the SSL Ecosystem. Recently elevated to Managing Director & CEO of Shoppers Stop, Kavi is leading the next phase of growth for the company, which pioneered the concept of department stores in India.

Under Kavi’s leadership, Shoppers Stop has seen significant growth milestones while maintaining its position as a pioneer in the retail industry. His experience, expertise, and qualities as a marathon runner are paying off in the success of Shoppers Stop today.

Martin Bailie, Former MD & CEO, Trent Hypermarket -Star Bazaar- A Tata & Tesco Enterprise

An exceptional leader, change manager and cultural architect, with over 30 years proven expertise and experience within the global food and fashion retail industries – Pan Europe, South Asia and NE America.

Skilfully blends commercial, financial and brand leadership with a visionary strategic overview and an analytical, comprehensive knowledge of local and global context. A solution-focused and innovative practitioner, highly responsive to current and emerging trends and flourishing within two of the leanest operational models for 23 years.

Universally acknowledged as a gifted and responsive driver of sweeping strategic and operational transition; transforming efficiency, dynamism and fluidity to achieve measurable increases in market share.

Over 16 years in retail out of the 26 years of overall industry experience. Managing Director and CEO of Globus, Founder Director of the Retailers Association of India (RAI) and The Retailers Association’s Skill council of India (RASCI). Has overseen the setting up and successfully expanding 36 store chain of specialty retail stores GLOBUS. Has a strong finance background, and has handled various roles in finance before taking over as CEO of Globus in 2004.

A Chartered Accountant by training and profession and also holds the Company Secretary and Cost Accountancy qualifications

 

Shashwat Goenka is the Vice Chairman of the 7-billion-dollar RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group, one of India’s leading business conglomerates, with businesses in Power, Green Energy, Chemicals, Information Technology, Retail, FMCG & Consumer Goods, Education, Entertainment, Sports, Agriculture and Media. The RPSG Group has a legacy of over 220 years, and is one of India’s fastest growing conglomerates with a significant global presence.

Shashwat has led many of the Group’s acquisitions and diversifications over the last decade, while at the same time turning around businesses for profitability, valuations and growth. In the Power sector, he spearheads the renewable energy business for the Group (Solar, Wind, Green Hydrogen and Ammonia). In the Chemicals sector, he was the instrumental in acquisition of Aquapharm Chemicals, a move to venture into the global speciality chemical segment.

Shashwat is the Vice Chairman for CII Eastern Regional Council and also part of CII’s National Council, where he chair’s CII’s Committees on Retail, E-Commerce, and Ayurveda. Shashwat is the Chairman for FICCI’s Young Leaders Forum. He has also been the youngest ever President of Indian Chamber of Commerce. FICCI, CII and ICC are India’s leading business associations that work closely with Government and industry to create a conducive policy environment for development of India.

He was the Founding Chairperson for YPO Next Generation in Kolkata, and is a member of Entrepreneur’s Organisation (EO). A graduate from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, he is also the Honorary Consul of Finland in Kolkata.

Recognised as a Young Global Leader by WEF in 2024, he has received numerous prestigious awards like Management Excellence Award for Emerging Leader by CMA, ‘Young Retail Professional of the Year’ by India Retail Forum, ‘Pride of India’ in 2017, ‘The Most Influential Young Indians’ by GQ, Economic Times 40 Under 40 India’s Hottest Business Leaders Award, Times of India Business Award for ‘Most Young & Dynamic Leader’, ‘The Most Promising Scion Award’ at the ET Family Business Awards, ‘Emerging Business Leader Award’ by HELLO! , ‘Young Achiever in Family Business’ at ASEAN – Indian Youth Awards, and ‘Young Achiever – The Next 100’ by India Today. In 2023, he was awarded Fortune’s 40 under 40, and featured in ‘100 Most Influential’ by Hello! in 2023.

Sadashiv is a seasoned industry professional with over 30 years of experience across sectors, with a strong background in driving business turnarounds, building brands, pioneering category disruptions and leading enterprise wide transformations..

Sadashiv joined K-12 Lighthouse Learning Group as its CEO in Jan 2024 and is responsible for spearheading the Group’s K-12 school’s portfolio across all the brands, including EuroSchool, Billabong High International School, Centre Point School, and Heritage Group of Schools.

Previously, Sadashiv served as the CEO of Future Retail Ltd., Future Consumer Big Bazaar, where he played a pivotal role in driving growth, profitability, and market leadership. His contributions created the earliest value retail teams in India and transformed the operations to become omni-channel and inclusive to PwD shoppers.

He began with a Sales and Marketing stint in Asian Paints. Subsequently moved on to be part of the brand management team. Joined Hindustan Lever Ltd.in 1996, starting with the project of setting the woodworking adhesives business for their Chemicals Division. Moved on to the Personal Products Marketing team as the Brand Manager for the Hair Oils category.He then took over as the Regional Sales Manager for the Beverages business for the Eastern Region. Joined Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited in 2004 as Head of Operations for the Western Zone. The responsibility was to drive turnover of stores across all existing formats of Big Bazar, Food Bazaar, Pantaloons, Central, Fashion Station etc. and coordinating the expansion within the Western Zone. As CEO – Future Retail Limited , his responsibility was to drive growth across the Big Bazaar & Food Bazaar retail formats of Future Group.

His remarkable experience, particularly in leadership, marketing, sales, and strategic thinking, has consistently proven instrumental in driving organisational success. His ability to navigate complex business landscapes, drive business growth and devise innovative strategies are notable.

A BE- Electronics graduate from the Regional Engineering College of Karnataka, Surathkal , he subsequently completed his post graduation in Marketing from XLRI, Jamshedpur. Sadashiv has been a member of the Facebook Council of India as well as CII committee in Retail and FMCG. Beyond his corporate achievements, he has also mentored several startup founders in EdTech, manufacturing, online marketplaces and ventures in the space of inclusion of PwD.

Lalit Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director, V-Mart Retail Ltd.

Lalit Agarwal is a pioneering retail entrepreneur and the Chairman and Managing Director of V-Mart Retail Ltd., a company he founded in 2002. With over 20 years of experience in diverse industries, including printing, packaging, and retail, Agarwal has established himself as a retail baron. His vision to bring organized value retailing to Tier II, III, and IV Indian cities has revolutionized the retail landscape.

Before setting up V-Mart, Agarwal was involved in various ventures, including a printing and packaging unit and a water theme park in Kolkata. He also gained valuable experience working with a retail chain until 2003. With a strong foundation in finance and management, Agarwal earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from Bombay University and a Diploma in Financial Management from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai.

Under Agarwal’s stewardship, V-Mart has grown exponentially, winning numerous prestigious awards. The company was recognized as “The World’s Best-Performing Departmental Store Chain” by Bloomberg in 2018 and “The Best Operating Model in India” by Jefferies Research. V-Mart has also received awards for “Most Admired Retailer of the Year” in both Discount Retail and Concept Store categories.

Agarwal’s leadership has been acknowledged through various individual awards, including “Retail Leader of the Year” at the Indian Retail Awards in 2018. He was also nominated to Niti Aayog’s Champions of Change initiative in 2017. As Chairman of the Retailers Association of India (RAI) for the Northern Region, Agarwal plays a key role in shaping the retail industry’s growth and development.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Agarwal is passionate about sharing his insights on leadership, culture, and technology through his weekly blog. He also documents his travels and experiences on his website, (link unavailable), showcasing his love for exploration and understanding India’s diverse culture.

Through his innovative approach and dedication to value retailing, Lalit Agarwal has transformed V-Mart into a leading player in the retail sector, making quality fashion accessible to millions of Indians in smaller towns and cities.

Former CEO & Managing Director, Trent Ltd.

Philip joined Trent in 2011 as the Chief Executive Officer and He was appointed as the Managing Director of the business in November 2014. Prior to Trent Ltd Philip spent five years with Vendex KBB, Netherlands (now called Maxeda BV). With Vendex, Philip was the CEO for the M&S Mode business, followed by the CEO for the Claudia Strater business. He has also spent four years as the Managing Director of George Clothing at Asda Plc, part of the Walmart group. Philip’s other experiences include working with B&Q as Director of Operations. He started his career with Marks & Spencer where he worked for 17 years.

Vasanth Kumar is Founder, Strategic Coach & Business Advisor. Currently, he is Business Advisor to Wooqer , a SaaS Company, also a Business Mentor for Start-Ups Procucev and Vedaanta Senior Living.

He is former Sr Advisor at Samara Capital and was earlier MD of Lifestyle International and CEO of Max Fashion India with stints at Aditya Birla Fashion, Hindustan Unilever and Prestige TTK .

During his career spanning over 35 years in FMCG, Branded Apparel and Omni Channel Retail, he has successfully scaled up brands, businesses and companies profitably, built self-propelling teams with a high degree of ownership. His scaling up experiences includes Peter England , followed by Max Fashion since inception and Easy Buy apparel culminating with Lifestyle and Home Center as Managing Director.

These varied Industry experiences have helped him acquire “Hands On” capability to simultaneously Scale-Up businesses by 5-10X and build Leadership Capacities from scratch, sustaining profitable growth through appropriate business models and tools.

Vasanth was recognized amongst the “TOP 100 Retail Icons by IMAGES . He had also been awarded “Retail Professional of the year” by CMAI and also got “Retail Leadership” award at Indian Retail Congress . He was also awarded as ” Distinguished Alumni” by Anna University , Chennai.

Vasanth is a certified “CEO Coach” from Coaching Foundation of India (CFI) . He is also a Marshall Goldsmith certified Stake Holder Centered “Team Coach” and Certified practitioner of “Business Model Coaching”. He recently got certified for Independent Directorship by IOD/IICA.

Now he is enabling Founder-CEOs to scale up their companies profitably through his Strategic Coaching methodology.Vasanth Kumar is Founder, Strategic Coach & Business Advisor. Currently, he is Business Advisor to Wooqer , a SaaS Company, also a Business Mentor for Start-Ups Procucev and Vedaanta Senior Living. He is former Sr Advisor at Samara Capital and was earlier MD of Lifestyle International and CEO of Max Fashion India with stints at Aditya Birla Fashion, Hindustan Unilever and Prestige TTK . During his career spanning over 35 years in FMCG, Branded Apparel and Omni Channel Retail, he has successfully scaled up brands, businesses and companies profitably, built self-propelling teams with a high degree of ownership. His scaling up experiences includes Peter England , followed by Max Fashion since inception and Easy Buy apparel culminating with Lifestyle and Home Center as Managing Director. These varied Industry experiences have helped him acquire “Hands On” capability to simultaneously Scale-Up businesses by 5-10X and build Leadership Capacities from scratch, sustaining profitable growth through appropriate business models and tools. Vasanth was recognized amongst the “TOP 100 Retail Icons by IMAGES . He had also been awarded “Retail Professional of the year” by CMAI and also got “Retail Leadership” award at Indian Retail Congress . He was also awarded as ” Distinguished Alumni” by Anna University , Chennai. Vasanth is a certified “CEO Coach” from Coaching Foundation of India (CFI) . He is also a Marshall Goldsmith certified Stake Holder Centered “Team Coach” and Certified practitioner of “Business Model Coaching”. He recently got certified for Independent Directorship by IOD/IICA. Now he is enabling Founder-CEOs to scale up their companies profitably through his Strategic Coaching methodology.