FSN E-Commerce Ventures (NYKAA) appointed Santosh Desai as an Independent Director effective 15th July 2024 for a three-year term, pending shareholder approval.
Santosh led Future Brands Ltd as CEO for 17 years and was President of McCann in India. With over 20 years in advertising, he strategically developed brands for various organizations, earning recognition as a thought leader in the Indian consumer brand sector.
Santosh serves on multiple boards including Think9 Consumer Technologies, Dainik Jagran Group, Breakthrough, Mudra Institute of Communication, Ahmedabad, and Praxis Business School, Kolkata. He has previously served on the boards of ING Vysya Bank and OXFAM India.
Welcoming Santosh’s appointment, Falguni Nayar, Executive Chairperson, Founder and CEO, Nykaa said, “Santosh’s experience in understanding the interwoven relationship between culture and brands has helped build several iconic brands. Nykaa’s unrivaled customer centricity and focus on innovation has enabled us to garner tremendous consumer love and trust. We are confident that Santosh’s strategic guidance will help steer our vision to propel Nykaa’s brand equity and bolster our existing bouquet of brands for long-term global success.”
Commenting on his appointment, Santosh Desai said, “I am excited to join Nykaa as an independent director. Nykaa has driven a transformative change in the beauty and lifestyle landscape in India with its customer-centric approach to retail. I look forward to contributing to the continued success and growth of this dynamic organisation, leveraging my experience in brand strategy and advertising to help shape its highly promising future.”
Santosh, an IIM-Ahmedabad graduate, is an academic who has lectured at national and international universities, addressed management boards of global companies, written a Times of India column for two decades, and authored the bestselling Mother Pious Lady.
Nykaa’s board comprises 10 members skilled in various fields. Nearly 40% are women, including independent directors Milind Sarwate, Anita Ramachandran, Seshashayee Sridhara, and Pradeep Prameshwaram. All directors follow regulated tenures for appointments and reappointments.
Nykaa, inspired by the Sanskrit origin of its name ‘Nayaka’, strives to spotlight its 25 million consumers in India. With a focus on customer-centricity, retailing expertise, and curated product selection, Nykaa shapes the beauty and lifestyle markets, promising personalized experiences for every customer.
