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 the Chief Commercial Officer, Benoit is responsible for key functions like Sales, Marketing, and Sales Excellence across geographies.

He joined Apollo Tyres in 2014, bringing with him a rich and diverse experience of over 25 years in the tyre industry in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In his previous role as the Group Head of Global Product Management (CV & OHT), he was the driving force behind Apollo Tyres’ successful introduction of commercial vehicle tyres in Europe.

Benoit comes with in-depth knowledge of the tyre industry in the commercial vehicle segment. He is credited with accelerating sales sustainably in his previous organization. His core strength lies in emerging markets and his ability to start from scratch to build a customer base.

Prior to his assignment at Apollo Tyres, Benoit spent most of his work life with Michelin, where he held various roles. His last assignment with Michelin was as Vice President, Asia, Earthmover and Industrial Tyres, based out of Shanghai. He also held the Commercial Director portfolio for China and Hong Kong truck and bus tyres.

A Mechanical Engineer, Benoit also holds a BA in Business from Montpellier University, France. A fan of track and field events, he has served as a coach to various running teams for several years in the past.

Benoit is also a member of the company’s Executive Committee.

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 Digital and Supply Chain Officer, Hizmy Hassen leadsthe strategy and operations of Apollo Tyres’ digital journey, including developing and executing the future architecture roadmap and evolution of the IT delivery model. He is also responsible for the global supply chain planning and logistics for the organisation.

Hizmy’s last assignment was with Coats PLC, prior to which, he was with Unilever. In his last role, Hassen was globally responsible for Digital and Technology within Coats Group PLC. He is credited with transforming the Global Technology function at Coats, implementing a cloud strategy as well as other modern technologies to underpin digital transformation. He has pioneered digital solutions achieving very high adoption levels, leading to a total transformation of the Coats’ go-to-market strategy. He led the digitalisation of Coats’ customer facing interactions which laid the solid foundation for their sales growth and increased productivity.

Hassen drove the set-up of ‘Factory 4.0’ and with his extensive experience in supply chain management, he created a fully integrated global supply chain with SAP, as well as advanced supply chain management systems, helping reduce the net working capital and supply chain cost base, at the same time improving upon the customer service levels.

Having joined Apollo Tyres recently, Hizmy has 30+ years of rich experience having worked across areas of Supply Chain, Information Technology and Digital Enablement.

Hassen holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Leeds, UK.

In his spare time, he likes playing golf, keeping fit, spending time with family and friends, and even enjoys watching the English Premier League.

Sunam Sarkar leads the Enterprise Services for the organization, including Human Resources, Raw Material sourcing, Sustainability Initiatives, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Communications. Sunam, best known for his innovative perspectives and participatory management style, in his previous role as the CFO, successfully led and executed Apollo’s international acquisitions, 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 programs and played a significant role in helping Xerox India attain a 58-percent market share.

In 1999, Sunam joined Apollo Tyres as Head of Marketing for Non-Truck 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, traveling, and the study of human behaviour and processes.

As Chief Quality and HSE Officer, Yoichi (Joe) Sato handles the Global Quality, Health, Safety and Environment function at Apollo Tyres. He plays a pivotal role in benchmarking, developing and implementing best management systems and processes in the organisation to achieve superior business results.

Sato San was previously associated with Bridgestone as its Vice President and Officer (Quality). Prior to that also, he was associated with Bridgestone as its General Manager in the PCR and OHT Unit, and as the Director of Quality in Bridgestone Americas in the early 2000. He started his management career as a Quality Manager at one of the Passenger Car and Motorcycle tyre manufacturing facility.

Having joined Apollo Tyres recently, Sato San has 35 years of rich experience, predominantly in the Tyre and Automobile Industry, most of which has been in the Quality function. Having worked in different geographies in the past, he enjoys working with multicultural teams.

Sato San has done his Bachelor of Materials Engineering from Shibaura Institute of Technology, Tokyo.

In his spare time, he likes playing Guitar and listening Pops. In addition to enjoying his Golf, Sato San goes for running during weekends, and participates in half marathons every year.

Sunam Sarkar leads the Enterprise Services for the organization, including Human Resources, Raw Material sourcing, Sustainability Initiatives, Corporate Social Responsibility, and Corporate Communications. Sunam, best known for his innovative perspectives and participatory management style, in his previous role as the CFO, successfully led and executed Apollo’s international acquisitions, 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 programs and played a significant role in helping Xerox India attain a 58-percent market share.

In 1999, Sunam joined Apollo Tyres as Head of Marketing for Non-Truck 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, traveling, and the study of human behaviour and processes.