Leadership

As the Chairman of Apollo Tyres Ltd, Onkar Kanwar is the chief architect of the company’s vision and value-driven business strategy. Under his able leadership Apollo became a professionally managed and a globally recognised tyre manufacturer. As a visionary entrepreneur, he plays a critical role in the articulation of company’s business philosophy. Modernisation, excellence and quality are his guiding principals. Registered in 1976, Apollo Tyres under his guidance transformed itself from an Indian manufacturer of commercial vehicle tyres, to a global entity with a full-fledged product portfolio, spanning 3 continents. Onkar Kanwar is highly regarded for his constant emphasis on bettering the lives of people -- be it employees, customers, business partners, shareholders or any other stakeholder -- and responsiveness to change and continuous learning. He is the Past President of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), former Chairman of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association and was a Member of the Board of Governors for the Indian Institute of Management (Kozhikode). Currently, he is the Chairman of the BRICS Business Council, India. Onkar Kanwar has a keen interest in the field of education and health care. Artemis Health Sciences, promoted by him, is an enterprise focusing on state-of-the-art medical care and runs a cutting edge multi-specialty medical facility which focuses on holistic treatment. An initiative close to his heart is Apollo Tyres' HIV-AIDS awareness and prevention programme for the commercial vehicle driver community, implemented through Apollo Tyres Foundation's Health Care Centres located in large transhipment hubs across India. A Science and Administration graduate from the University of California, Onkar Kanwar is a widely travelled individual. He devotes a large part of his time to reading and is passionate about learning modern management practices and their successful application in business. He has been conferred with ‘Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award – Manufacturing’ for the year 2012. He has recently been awarded with Hungarian ‘Order of Merit’, and Government of Japan’s ‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star’.

In his capacity as President, Europe, Apollo Tyres Ltd and CEO, Apollo Vredestein BV, Benoit is responsible for key functions like manufacturing, sales & marketing, customer relations and profitability in Europe. He joined Apollo Tyres in 2014, with a rich and diverse experience of over 25 years, in Asia, Europe and Middle East in the Tyre Industry. In his previous role as the Group Head, Global Product Management (CV & OHT), he has been the driver of Apollo Tyres’ successful introduction of commercial vehicle tyres in Europe. Benoit comes with an in-depth knowledge in the tyre-industry in the commercial vehicle segment. He is credited with accelerating the sales in a sustainable manner in his previous organisation. His core strength lies in the emerging markets and his ability to start out from scratch to build a customer base. Prior to his assignment at Apollo Tyres, he has spent most of his work life with Michelin and has held various roles in the organisation. His last assignment with Michelin was as Vice President, Asia, Earthmover and Industrial Tyres based out of Shanghai. He has also held Commercial Director portfolio for China and Hong Kong truck and bus tyres. A Mechanical Engineer, Benoit has also done BA in Business from Montpellier University, France. A fan of track and field events, he has also served as a coach to various running teams for several years in the past. Benoit is also a member of the company’s Management Board

Gaurav Kumar, in his role as the Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for the organisation’s overall financial health and stability, ensuring compliance with statutory guidelines and corporate governance policies. He is also a key member of the team responsible for strategic growth projects, including inorganic growth, mergers and acquisitions, and raising longterm finance for existing and upcoming projects. Known for his composed persona, wit and factual bent of mind, he also looks after investor relations for the organisation. In his previous role as Group Head, Corporate Strategy & Finance, Gaurav was focused on strengthening strategic partnerships with stakeholders -- increasing their relevance and aiding the evolution of the company’s business model for sustainable and inclusive growth, and achievement of organisational goals. Gaurav began his career as a Management Trainee with UB Group in 1993 and since then has donned many hats -- from being an Executive Assistant to the Managing Director of a manufacturing set-up to being part of Acquisition & Alliances team for an IT Giant. In March 2004, Kumar joined Apollo Tyres Ltd as Head, Corporate Strategy. Since then he has played a leading role in numerous projects that have had a significant impact on the company's revenue and profitability. In 2010, Kumar was nominated to the Company's Management Board. A degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and a MBA in Finance from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi, Kumar's academic achievements too are enviable. A keen traveller, with a penchant for sports, Kumar’s true passions are adventure sports and fiction.

As Chief of Projects, K Prabhakar is responsible for all the growth projects of the organisation. He, and his team, set-up two worldclass manufacturing units -- one in Baroda, in the western part of India in 1991, and in Chennai, in the southern part of India in 2008-09. For both these projects, he has handled diverse functions of industrial engineering, manpower planning, project cost and time monitoring. Post the acquisition of Dunlop Tyres International in South Africa, Prabhakar was the Chief Operating Officer, where he played a key role in the seamless integration of the two organisations. K Prabhakar began his career as a consultant with the National Productivity Council in Kanpur and Chennai, and worked for a few years with Shriram Fibres in Chennai. He joined Apollo Tyres in 1989 as Senior Manager, Industrial Engineering. After his successful handling of the Greenfield projects, he was incorporated into the Strategic Planning and Coordination department in 1997. A year later, he was designated as the Head, Human Resources where he was instrumental in conceptualising a number of initiatives in tune with changing business needs and exponential growth of the organisation. Prabhakar, apart from being a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering from NIT, Trichy in south India, and a postgraduate in Industrial Engineering from TIPIE, NPC, Chennai, is also a member of Institute of Cost and Works Accountant of India. An avid reader and academician at heart, he delivers lectures at prestigious Indian Institutes whenever time permits.

As Chief Advisor, Research & Development, P K Mohamed is the mind behind Apollo's best-in-class research and development centres, product design philosophy, and technologically superior manufacturing facilities. He is one of the founding members of Apollo’s technology journey and continues to mentor all the research and technology related initiatives of the company. Mohamed began his career in 1965 as a Junior Lecturer in Farook College, Calicut, Kerala. He is one of the first few employees of Apollo Tyres who joined the company in 1976. It was because of the significant role he played in product development that cult tyre brands like XT-7 and Amazer, came out of Apollo’s stable. It was because of his significant efforts in developing new products to suit the customer needs, that the company became the leader first in commercial vehicle tyres, and then in passenger vehicle tyres in India. Mohamed is highly regarded for his technological know-how, product knowledge and customercentricity. A Member of Apollo’s Management Board, P K Mohamed is a graduate from the University of Kerala and is also a Fellow Member of Rubber and Plastic Institute, London. Over the years, he has presented and published various research papers on development and testing of tyres. Mohamed has been recognised as the ‘Best Tyre Technologist’ in the country by Rubber Technology Centre, IIT Kharagpur, India in March 2013.

Sunam Sarkar oversees Human Resources, Integrated Supply Chain including Raw Material sourcing, Production Planning & Logistics Operations, Information Technology, Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Strategy. Sunam, who is best known for his innovative perspectives and participatory management style, in his previous role as the CFO, had successfully led and executed Apollo’s international acquisitions and greatly strengthening the company’s Balance Sheet. Sunam Sarkar began his career at Modi Xerox, where he held assignments in direct sales, sales management and training, before becoming one of the youngest executives to head a Business Unit as a General Manager. At Xerox, he also aided the development of cutting-edge sales training programmes and played a significant role in helping Xerox India attain 58-percent market share. In 1999, Sunam joined Apollo Tyres as Head, Marketing, NonTruck Tyres. Since then he has pioneered a number of initiatives that have had a significant impact on revenue, profitability, employee satisfaction and customer delight. He took over as the Chief Financial Officer in 2009, and as Chief Business Officer in November 2014. Sunam has been a Director on the Board of the Company since 2004. A Commerce graduate from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, Sunam also holds an International Masters in Practicing Management from Lancaster University, UK. An avid golfer, he enjoys western classical music, travelling and study of human behaviour and processes.