Sumeet Yadav
CEO
Nando’s India
Sumeet Yadav has had an illustrious career; spanning 20 odd years and four very different industries – from paper to automobiles to luxury fashion and now F&B.
Over these two decades, he has demonstrated the capability of launching brands and managing businesses from a ‘start-up’ to a successful steady state.
His reputation for transforming businesses started with the launch of Ford Ikon, as its Brand Manager. After a super successful launch, he quickly moved on to head the sales function as GM – Sales at Ford India.
After a successful stint at Ford, Yadav joined Arvind Brands and VF Corporation India in 2002. During the 5 years he spent there, Yadav grew quickly to take on the mantel of Country Head for Tommy Hilfiger and then Nautica. In his last assignment with them he was heading the retail division, overseeing brands such as Arrow, Lee, Wrangler, Jansport and Nautica, among others.
In 2007 the entrepreneurial bug bit him and he joined Reliance Brands Limited, a start-up promoted by Reliance Industries, to spearhead Reliance’s foray into Premium Fashion. At Reliance Brands, Sumeet was instrumental in launching 15 international premium brands in the country. He served as Country Head for Diesel, Brooks Bros, SuperDry, Kenneth Cole, Quiksilver, Roxy and DC. In addition, he was spearheading the company’s entry into multi-brand e-commerce sales, media buying and also setting up HR operations.
Known for his innovative approach to marketing and always game to try new strategies, Yadav was instrumental in launching the first fashion brand via twitter in India and one that is now iconic in India, SuperDry.
In pace with the changing marketing scenario, Yadav has effectively used digital tools as well as brick-and-mortar spaces to create fashion powerhouse brands in the country. After a stellar career in the fashion and lifestyle industry, Yadav has now moved into a space that is his personal favorite, the F&B industry.
Yadav has joined as CEO Nando’s India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Nando’s world-wide; a US$1.6 billion global powerhouse in the casual dining space.
Yadav is an IMT Ghaziabad graduate. In his free time, he likes to explore adventure sports and loves traveling to different locations. Sumeet loves Formula One racing and is an avid biker.
