R. Gopalakrishnan is among India’s most seasoned corporate strategists, whose career spans more than five decades across high-stakes business arenas. Educated in physics at St. Xavier’s College (Calcutta), electronics engineering at IIT Kharagpur, and advanced management at Harvard Business School, he began his managerial journey in 1967 at Hindustan Lever. Over time, he rose to become Vice-Chairman of Hindustan Lever, Chairman of Unilever Arabia, and eventually Executive Director at Tata Sons — overseeing business strategy, governance, and institutional growth across a diverse portfolio. Beyond the boardroom, he is a prolific author, mentor to leaders and start-ups, and a thought- leader on organizational longevity, capability building, and the art of making consequential business decisions.
R. Gopalakrishnan is among India’s most seasoned corporate strategists, whose career spans more than five decades across high-stakes business arenas. Educated in physics at St. Xavier’s College (Calcutta), electronics engineering at IIT Kharagpur, and advanced management at Harvard Business School, he began his managerial journey in 1967 at Hindustan Lever. Over time, he rose to... Read more
Episodes(3)
Big decisions demand more than just data—when should you trust your gut? In this premiere episode of The Leadership Equation Podcast, Anupal Banerjee sits down with R. Gopalakrishnan, former Executive Director at Tata Sons, to explore the fine balance between...
Why do some companies thrive for generations while others disappear? In this episode of The Leadership Equation Podcast, Anupal Banerjee continues his conversation with R. Gopalakrishnan, former Executive Director at Tata Sons, to uncover the secrets of corporate longevity. What’s...
How can leaders future-proof their organizations in the era of AI? In this episode of The Leadership Equation Podcast, Anupal Banerjee continues his thought-provoking conversation with R. Gopalakrishnan, former Executive Director at Tata Sons, to explore how leaders can navigate...
Anupal brings in 25 years of practitioners’ on-the-job experience of implementing HR transformation journeys in Tech, Engineering and Media companies. He most recently served as the Chief People Officer of FSS, a Digital Payments Company.Prior to FSS, Anupal was the CHRO and Company Ethics Counsellor at Tata Technologies. He also oversaw the Global IT and Facilities functions and worked very closely with the CEO & Board (specifically with the Nomination and Remuneration Committee).
