Vinayak Narain

Vini Narain has extensive experience in the food and spice industry. Vinayak (Vini) currently holds the position of SVP - Head Of Strategy & Planning - Industrial Spices, North America at OFI, where they are responsible for crafting the long-term vision and direction of the company's North American Industrial Spice business. In addition, they identify new business opportunities, streamlines business planning, and builds and mentors cross-functional teams.

Prior to their current role, Vini served as the Senior Vice President of Dehydrated Vegetables at OFI, where they had global P&L accountability and formulated strategies to enhance profitability and maximize return on equity. Vinayak (Vini) also held the positions of Vice President - Spices & Dehydrates and General Manager - Spices at OFI, where they managed P&L and drove sales and margin enhancement for spice profit centers in various countries.

Before joining OFI, Vini worked at PT. Chempex Jaya (Kewalram Chanrai Group) as a Business Manager, where they developed and executed sales strategies for natural gums and Indonesian spices. Vinayak (Vini) also worked as a Trading Manager at PT. Chempex Jaya (Kewalram Chanrai Group) and as an Area Manager and Business Development Manager at ICI India.

Throughout their career, Vini has demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, P&L management, business development, and sales strategy execution. Vinayak (Vini) has successfully led teams, integrated acquired businesses, and strengthened customer relationships.

Vini Narain has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from SPJIMR SP Jain Institute of Management & Research. Vinayak (Vini) also holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce (B.Com) with a focus on Accounting and Finance from Sydenham College of Commerce and Economics. In addition to their formal education, Vini has obtained certifications in various topics, including Driving Digital Transformation from IMD Business School, Leading with Data & Analytics from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Artificial Intelligence - Implications for Business Strategy from MIT Sloan Executive Education, Leading Strategic Growth from Columbia Business School, and participated in an Agrobusiness Seminar at Harvard Business School.