Avon Hires Heinz Exec To Stabilize Asia

Avon Products, Inc. hired Nilesh Patel as senior vice president and president, Asia Pacific Region, effective Febr.3, 2014. He will report to Sheri McCoy, Avon's chief executive officer, and will join the company's executive committee. Patel will oversee all of Avon's Asia Pacific business. In this role, he will be responsible for stabilizing the market, and strengthening and growing the Avon business throughout the region.

“As part of our commitment to growing the Avon business, I am pleased to announce that Nilesh Patel is joining us to lead our efforts in the Asia Pacific region,” said McCoy. “During his successful career, Nilesh has a strong track record of strategic and operational excellence, which will be critical as we work to rebuild our Asia Pacific business. He knows how to build a brand and bring together a strong team to drive results. Nilesh's experience, expertise and insights are critical assets as we work to strengthen our position in the Asia Pacific region and globally.”

Patel joins Avon following a 26-year career with the Heinz Company, where he served in various roles. Throughout his tenure, he acquired deep experience across multiple functions from supply chain management to marketing, and built a solid record of success, most notably in emerging Asian markets such as Indonesia and India.

Most recently, Patel served as president, director and regional CEO of the Heinz ASEAN Region, where he oversaw business in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand. The position was an expansion of his role as head of Heinz ABC Business in Indonesia, where Patel has been credited with turning around the business and more than doubling revenues over a five-year period.

From 2004 to 2007, Patel served as managing director and chairman for Heinz India, where he spearheaded a brand repositioning, organizational restructuring, and other changes resulting in a near doubling of revenues. Other roles at Heinz include senior manager/director of supply chain and foodservice sales in China and manager/senior manager in various roles for the Middle-East/Africa and Europe regions.

Prior to joining Heinz, Patel was a project development engineer for Grand Metropolitan in the food retailer's research and development department. He spent his early professional career at a pharmaceutical company. He holds a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Glamorgan in South Wales (now the University of South Wales).