Laxman Narasimhan

Laxman Narasimhan is a transformational, people-driven operator with over 30 years of experience leading and advising global brands. He brings demonstrated strategic skills, operational grit, and commercial acumen to deliver world-class outcomes and exceptional results. Laxman is focused on leading, advising and investing in an era of deglobalization, shifting consumer dynamics, and the rise of AI. At PepsiCo, Laxman rallied talent to fundamentally transform the Latin American Sector through consumer-centric and digital innovation, operational excellence and execution, while positioning the European and Sub-Saharan business for long-term growth. At Reckitt, he reinvigorated the company’s ownership culture to better deliver on its purpose to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier world. Laxman led the team through an immediate strategy reset, courageous portfolio reshaping, and digital transformation; invested in science and innovation as well as commercial excellence; and stepped up productivity and talent focus to deliver very strong performance amid a global pandemic. At Starbucks, after working in stores for six months to deeply learn the business, he led a reinvention program to fundamentally improve the partner experience while implementing the strategic roadmap for customer experience and connection over coffee—navigating headwinds and positioning the company for its next phase of growth. Prior to PepsiCo, his global career at McKinsey over 19 years straddled consumer, retail, consumer health, consumer tech, industrial, and private capital. He is a trustee of Brookings Institution, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a member of Verizon’s Board of Directors. He was previously a member of the UK Prime Minister’s Build Back Better Council. Laxman speaks six languages. He and his family have lived around the world, as he has worked across the private, public, and social sectors throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, University of Pune, India. He also has an MA in German and International Studies from The Lauder Institute at The University of Pennsylvania, and an MBA in Finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.