Mumbai, July 9: RPG group company, Searle India, has completed a significant reshuffle at the top management level with the induction of three new faces at the company's helm. The revamp, which includes a combination of inter-group company transfers and induction of new talent, is expected to infuse fresh initiative at Searle.RPG group watchers say that the entire exercise is part of a regular human resource development process aimed at enriching the job content of top group managers.
The reshuffle, they add, is in no way connected to Searle's moderate performance over the past few years.
There have been several such realignments within the group including the lateral movement of Vinod Jethra, president of RPG Paging, from RPG Ricoh and Dilip Mehta earlier chief of RPG Paging to his current designation of president RPG Cellular.
Sources indicated that former RPG-BTP head V Sadekar has already taken charge as president at the Rs 206-crore company. Sadekar's appointment will see senior RPG hand andSearle president KK Maheshwari taking direct charge of the company's new biotech and fermentation projects. Sadekar is also credited with having been adjudged the best RPG group manager a few years ago.
The group has also brought in Sharda Crishna as vice-president, marketing (pharmaceuticals) at Searle. Crishna was earlier vice-president of the specific business group at the Mumbai-based Croslands Laboratories now part of Ranbaxy Laboratories. Crishna takes over from Searle executive director KV Ouseph.
Other significant changes include the appointment of RK Nagpal as vice-president (finance) at Searle India in place of Rajesh Jain. While Nagpal has been moved into Searle from RPG Transmission, Jain will take charge as general manager (finance) at KEC International.
Searle company secretary MJ Mendonca has also moved to another group company, RPG Cables.
Sources said that Maheshwari's redesignation comes at a time when the company is poised to enter the field of fermentation technology in technicalalliance with Biofin Labs of Italy. Maheshwari's direct involvement, they add, is expected to boost the company's efforts in this direction.
Fermentation technology is expected to address high value new bulk drugs in areas like cancer treatment, immuno-suppressants, cardiology and vitamins, thereby adding value to Searle's bottomline.
Searle is also understood to have held initial talks with the Pune-based Hindustan Antibiotics for a strategic alliance to access the latter's fermentors.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
