Rakesh Kapoor
Former CEO, Reckitt Benckiser
Rakesh Kapoor, born August 4, 1958, in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, is a distinguished Indian business leader who transformed Reckitt Benckiser into a global consumer health powerhouse. Educated at Modern School in New Delhi, Kapoor holds a BE in Chemical Engineering from BITS Pilani and an MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur. His career exemplifies how strategic vision and operational excellence can reshape multinational corporations. Joining Reckitt & Colman in 1987, he steadily climbed through various roles including Regional Sales Manager for North India, General Manager for the Indian Southern Region, and Regional Marketing Director for South Asia before the company's merger with Benckiser.
Following the 1999 merger, Kapoor's rise accelerated. He became Global Category Director for Pest Control, then Senior Vice President for Home Care, before advancing to Regional Director for Northern Europe in 2001. His appointment as EVP for Category Development in 2006 positioned him as the natural successor to CEO Bart Becht. On September 1, 2011, Kapoor assumed the CEO role, leading Reckitt Benckiser through a transformative era focused on health and hygiene products including powerhouse brands like Dettol, Nurofen, Durex, Vanish, and Strepsils.
Under Kapoor's leadership from 2011 to 2019, the company pursued aggressive expansion through strategic acquisitions. The 2012 purchase of Schiff Nutrition International for $1.4 billion marked entry into the vitamins and supplements market. His boldest move came in 2017 with the $16.6 billion acquisition of Mead Johnson Nutrition, adding iconic brands like Enfamil to Reckitt's portfolio. Though this period saw challenges including profit warnings and regulatory scrutiny, Kapoor's strategic repositioning toward consumer health was visionary.
After retiring from Reckitt in September 2019, Kapoor established the 12 Flags India Consumer Fund in August 2023, committing $100 million to early-stage Indian consumer businesses. His philanthropic legacy includes a $1.2 million donation to BITS Pilani in January 2023, funding the Rakesh Kapoor Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. An accomplished bridge player and cricket enthusiast, Kapoor's journey from Indian engineering graduate to global CEO exemplifies determination and strategic brilliance in consumer goods leadership.
