Anand Group announces new management structure, Anjali Singh to become chairperson

Tier 1 supplier Anand Group has announced significant governance and key management restructuring for corporate governance and succession planning. The Group Supervisory Board has ratified and approved the appointments after thorough deliberations and reviews conducted over the past one year. These changes and appointments will come into effect from January 15, 2021, a year in which the group will celebrate its diamond Jubilee.

Anand Group was founded in 1961, at present constitutes 19 companies, 12 joint ventures, 7 technical collaborations employing over 14,000 people across 59 locations in India with a turnover of approximately Rs 10,000 crore (US$1.3 billion).

Anjali Singh, executive chairperson of the group, and its Group Supervisory Board, will be appointed chairperson of a re-constituted Anand Executive Board. Additionally, she will also take over as chairperson of Spicer India, a JV between Anand and Dana Inc, USA. She will continue to serve as executive chairperson of the group’s flagship company, Gabriel India, a leader in ride-control systems. As part of the new structure, two group co-chief operating officers, the group’s CFO, the group’s CTO and the group’s chief human resource officer will report directly to her. She will continue in her role as a member of the executive committee of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), and co-chairperson of the Northern Region, as well as chairperson of Pillar 4 Strategic Partnerships. Mrs Singh will also continue on the Confederation of Indian Industry’s International Council for 2020-2021.

Jaisal Singh, director, Group Supervisory Board, will, in addition, be appointed vice-chairman of a re-constituted Anand Executive Board. Jaisal will also be appointed co-chairman of Mando Automotive India, the JV between Anand and Mando Corporation, part of the Halla Group, Republic of Korea. Further to this, the group’s chief compliance officer will report directly to him, and Jaisal will also chair the group’s Strategic Growth Council, including mergers and acquisitions. He will be appointed chairman of Sujan Enterprises, and continue in his elected role as VP, Member of the Executive Committee, and Board of Directors of Relais & Chateaux. He will also continue as a Member of the Government of Rajasthan’s Standing Committee for Wildlife as well as the State Board for Wildlife, chaired by the chief minister of Rajasthan.

Deepak Chopra, the group CEO for 11 years, and a sterling 44-year career at Anand, will retire from his role on January 15, 2021. Chopra will join the Group Supervisory Board, and will chair the Board’s Operations Committee, as well as serve as a member of the Personnel Committee. He will also have an advisory role in partnership relations and legal affairs. Further to this, he will be appointed co-chairman Joyson Anand Abhishek Safety Systems, the JV with Joyson Safety Systems, USA. In addition, he will chair the group’s Ethics Committee. He will have a role of mentoring certain key management and shall also oversee the group’s philanthropic wing, the SNS Foundation.

Mahendra K Goyal, the group president, will assume charge as one of two co-COO of the group, and as a member of the re-constituted Anand Executive Board. He will continue as MD, Spicer India; and will be directly responsible and accountable to the Anand Executive Board for the following group companies: Mando Automotive India, Spicer India, Anand iPower, Mahle Anand Filter Systems and Mahle Anand Thermal Systems, Anand’s joint venture companies with MAHLE, Germany. In addition, he will continue to be responsible and accountable for the group’s aftermarket.

Manoj Kolhatkar, the group president, will assume charge as one of two co-COO of the group, and as a member of the re-constituted Anand Executive Board. He shall continue as MD of the group’s flagship, Gabriel India; and will be directly responsible and accountable to the Anand Executive Board for the following group companies: Gabriel India, Faurecia Clean Mobility - a JV between Anand and Faurecia Clean Mobility France, Valeo Friction Materials India - Anand’s joint venture with Valeo France, both joint venture companies with CY Myutec, Korea namely Anand CY Myutec Automotive and CY Myutec Anand, as well as Anchemco and Ansysco. In addition, he will continue to head business development, and materials for the group.

Jagdish Kumar, group president, shall continue in his role as the group’s CFO and will be a member of the re-constituted Anand Executive Board. He will remain chairman of Henkel Anand India, a joint venture between Anand and Henkel, Germany, as well as a director of Joyson Anand Abhishek Safety Systems. Kumar will be responsible and accountable to the Anand Executive Board for both these companies. Group Legal, Corporate Strategy, IT, as well as Corporate Communications shall report to him, who will also continue in his position as MD of Anand Automotive.

Sunil Kaul, group president, will be appointed the group’s CTO, and a member of the re-constituted Anand Executive Board. He shall continue as chairman of the Board of Haldex India, the JV between Anand and Haldex, Sweden, for which he will be responsible and accountable to the Anand Executive Board. Kaul will also be responsible for the group’s Emerging Automotive Technology, start-ups, and the Excellence-in-Manufacturing, Innovation, Quality Culture, and Sustainability initiatives.

S Sarathi, group president, will be appointed chief compliance officer, and a member of the re-constituted Anand Executive Board. He will continue as joint MD of Mando Automotive India. As part of the new matrix structure within the Anand Executive Board, he will be responsible for two group companies: Faurecia Clean Mobility and Valeo Friction Materials India to support the respective Group co-COO in charge of those companies. For his role as the group’s chief compliance officer, he will report directly to Jaisal Singh, vice-chairman, Anand Executive Board.

Sumit Bhatnagar, group president, will be redesignated the group’s chief human resource officer and will be a member of the re-constituted Anand Executive Board. He will continue to head the group’s internal university, Anand U. As part of the new matrix structure within the Anand Executive Board he will be responsible for three group companies, Mahle Anand Thermal Systems, Anand Cy Myutec Automotive, and CY Myutec Anand to support the respective group co-COO in charge of those companies. In his role as chief human resource officer, as well as for his role as the corporate head of Infrastructure, he will report directly to Anjali Singh, executive chairperson of the group.

In its note the Anand Group thanks Aditya Narayan for his contribution and wishes him all the best for future, who will retire from the Group Supervisory Board.

Also read: Interview with Anjali Singh: ‘For Anand Group, collaboration is simply a way of life. If you are firm and persuasive, you can really get very far.’