SINGAPORE // Sameer Desai is the Commercial Head of Consumer Healthcare for Mundipharma in its key growth regions of Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. With over 20 years of experience and proven leadership abilities in pharmaceutical, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Consumer Healthcare, Sameer has a proven track record for growing brands into dominant market positions across different categories.
Prior to joining Mundipharma, Sameer spent 12 years in various regional and global roles in GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) (both Pharmaceutical and Consumer Healthcare), including that of Commercial Head of Dermatology for Asia, Global Innovation Director for Oral Care (also responsible for developing entry strategies for Emerging markets), and Marketing Head of Middle East.
He has also worked with P&G (India) from 1995-98, Kellogg’s (India) from 1998-99 and Friesland Campina (Middle East) from 1999-2001.
He is passionate about Innovation in Emerging Markets, digital marketing and in driving Access to the bottom of the pyramid and has been invited as a speaker to various international conferences like World Innovation Congress in Cannes 2011, Front End of Innovation in Boston 2013, Front End of Innovation in Venice 2014, UK Marketing Directors Conference 2010 in London, Spikes Festival of Creativity 2014 in Singapore, NextLevel Pharma's conference on Market Access in LATAM Markets 2014 in Rio, Brazil, Digital Matters Asia 2014 in Singapore, Access to Medicines Workshop Asia 2011 in Singapore, Campaign Health Asia Pacific Conference 2012 in Singapore, NextLevel Pharma's conference on Market Access in Asian Markets 2012 in Singapore and 6th Annual OTC Asia summit 2016.
Sameer was also a judge for WARC Awards for Asian Strategy 2015 and the inaugural 2016 Positive Change Effie Asia Pacific (Keith Weed-Unilever is the jury Chair)
In Feb 2015, Sameer was elected to the Global Executive Board of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), the largest industry body in the world for Advertisers comprising of the top 75 advertisers in the world
In March 2016, Sameer was elected as the Regional VP Asia for the WFA
Sameer was one of the 5 advertisers who came together in Dubai to set up the Middle East Advertisers Association in 2004 (now the Advertisers Business Group which is the Associate Member for WFA in the Middle East)
Sameer holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, India’s leading Business school.