As first revealed by Autocar Professional on February 21, the Mahindra Group has appointed Ruzbeh Irani as its Chief Group Communications & Ethics Officer, from April 1. Ruzbeh, a member of the Mahindra Group Executive Board, replaces Roma Balwani, who retired from the Group on March 31, having led the communications function for around nine years.
Ruzbeh joined the Mahindra Group in March 2007 as executive vice-president – Corporate Strategy in charge of strategy formulation and monitoring across the Group. In 2009, he was also appointed chief brand officer and he spearheaded work on the Group’s’Rise’ brand campaign.
Ruzbeh subsequently drove Mahindra’s entry into MotoGP, making the company the first Indian two-wheeler manufacturer to participate on the world stage, in motorcycle racing. In 2010, he was appointed to the Mahindra Group Executive Board and in February 2012, he was appointed chief executive (International Operations), where he was responsible for spearheading Mahindra's efforts to build its global presence, for the Automotive and Farm Equipment businesses.
After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Bombay University, Ruzbeh went on to receive his Masters in Management Studies from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Mumbai. He is an alumnus of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.