Commercial vehicle manufacturer Ashok Leyland Ltd. (ALL) has appointed Vipin Sondhi as the CEO and MD for five years from December 12.
Mr. Sondhi would drive technology transition, growth and future strategy for the flagship company of the Hinduja Group as well as the group’s global automotive portfolio. He had been inducted recently as a director on the board, said the company in a filing.
“Vipin has a strong, proven track record as a leader and is a passionate and hands-on professional. His known ability to drive performance working seamlessly with all key stakeholders will be valuable at Ashok Leyland,” said Dheeraj Hinduja, chairman, Ashok Leyland.
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Mr. Sondhi succeeds Vinod Dasari, who stepped down on March 31, 2019 citing personal reasons.
Mr. Sondhi has more than three decades of experience in manufacturing and engineering sectors.
Ashok Leyland is the fourth largest manufacturer of buses in the world and ranked among the top 10 manufacturers of trucks globally. It posted a turnover of ₹29,055 crore for FY19 and has footprint that extends across 50 countries.
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He was earlier MD and CEO of JCB India and member of JCB’s global executive team. He led a $1.7 billion business with five manufacturing plants in 3 locations, 8 product categories, 60 products, 65 dealers and over 700 retail outlets.
Apart from the lndia region, he was also responsible for the South East Asian and Pacific businesses for the company and played a significant role in Global Product and Manufacturing Strategy for the Group. He was with JCB for over 13 years.
Prior to JCB, Mr. Sondhi was the MD for Tecumseh lndia, where he served for over 12 years, six years as the MD. The initial 10 years of his career ws shaped in companies such as Tata Steel and Shriram Honda.