Dr. Uppiliappan Gopalan: A Man of Culture

Dr. Uppiliappan Gopalan

A man of culture, he evolved as a strategist who drove expansion of businesses to highly competitive markets of Europe, Middle East, GCC & Africa and produced top & bottom-line growth even in economical adversities. Dr. Uppiliappan Gopalan is a business leader of a kind whose understanding of the market is like that of a chess maestro. His vision is so established that he cherishes the delicious contradiction of predicting the behaviour of "inherently unpredictable" market systems. He holds an extensive experience across all phases of business, including new company start-up, business turnarounds, expansions and diversifications.

"What business strategy is all about - what distinguishes it from all other kinds of business planning - is, in a word, competitive advantage. Without competitors there would be no need for strategy, for the sole purpose of strategic planning is to enable the company to gain, as effectively as possible, a sustainable edge over its competitors." - Kenichi Ohmae

Not only is Dr. Gopalan a strategic think-tank cum implementer with recognized proficiency in spearheading operations/business to accomplish corporate plans and goals successfully, but he is an effective leader and manager who knows how to put the first thing first and revers the discipline to execute it. Dr. Gopalan has an excellent track record of managing Mergers & Acquisitions involving $ 20 Million of transactions. He has managed diversified product portfolios and led dynamic, large-sized, cross-cultural teams of size up-to 75 Direct & 2000 Indirect Reportees too.

He who travels far, will often see things and so to say gain a ton of wisdom. Dr. Gopalan has acquired sensitivity to dynamics of cross-cultural workspaces through extensive travel across 25 countries including UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Germany, Austria, Singapore, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Jordan, Lebanon, Switzerland, Vietnam, Uganda, Kenya, Congo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, Malawi, Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Maldives, Mauritius, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Italy, Rwanda, Sudan and Congo (DRC).

Dr. Gopalan had his humble beginnings as a Management Trainee with the Murugappa Group (Parry's Confectionery Limited) from where he gradually levelled up to the Category Management handling B2C and B2B Business/Exports. Dr. Gopalan then established himself as an adjunct faculty for Finance & Supply Chain and has been invited by various forums as Conference Speaker & Conference Chair. His FMCG experience landed him at Trinity Holdings (Leading conglomerate with 1.2 Bn AED Revenue handling Greenfield, Business Development, Contract Management, & Execution of EPC Contracts). Utilizing his very project management experience and skills, Mercedes-Benz (Daimler-AG) knocked on his doors with the opportunity to bag the post of General Manager - Network Development & Franchisee Operations of Oman, Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan. Such a vast era of experience of about 10 years in Operations & Category Management / Finance Operations he then moved to Nairobi as Head of Business Improvement & Optimization for a 600 million US$ Conglomerate - Hashi Energy Holdings where he began handling operations, fundraising, equity placement, business process reengineering. For past 7 years as a proven CEO for Bhatia Brothers (UAE Based Conglomerate) and KALS Group, he is handling Operations in totality with a revenue size of 800 Million$.

If we count on to his personality as a CEO, he states, "I love the challenges associated with my job. It is extremely multifaceted, which enables me to learn, experience, contribute and grow organically and inorganically."

Showing his leadership grandeur, he has recently set up Foundry within a shortest time-span of 12 months with a capacity of 100 K Tonnes of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Casting Material. He has raised funds up to 200 Million $ both domestic and international for Business Expansion. Not only that but he went as far as to set-up distribution channel for International NGO for supply & distribution of Fuel.

To mention a few, the grandeur of Dr. Gopalan is such that he has been a Member of International Economic Forum, and Member Secretary of International Finance Consortium. He is a Certified Business Law Practitioner (UK), who is Asia's most admired Business Leader (2019- BARC), & Peter Drucker Awardee of 2019. But all of it and a pinch of humbleness with kindness as he is even a Philanthropist running a rejuvenation home for old-age/elderly people under the name of Serene Charity Foundation - like the Sun, he gives back what he takes as a royal from the society.