Business Unit Head - Phytopharmaceuticals

Business Unit Head - Phytopharmaceuticals & Evidence-Based Therapeutics

P&L Scope: - 100+ Crore baseline with aggressive multi-year scaling targets

Executive Summary:

A tier-one Indian Multinational Conglomerate has retained our search practice to identify an exceptional commercial pharma leader to take charge as Business Unit Head.

The group has recently acquired a high-potential, - 100+ Crore modern natural medicine enterprise specializing in phytopharmaceuticals and evidence-based clinical therapeutics across multiple commercialized SKUs. This leader will operate with true founder-like strategic autonomy, driving end-to-end P&L accountability, scaling the commercial sales engine, establishing scientific credibility with healthcare professionals (HCPs), and integrating institutional MNC governance to scale the business to market leadership.

Value Proposition:

Why This Mandate?

• Founder-Like Strategic Autonomy: Complete executive ownership across commercial strategy, brand building, field force design, pricing, and capital deployment without bureaucratic bottlenecks.
• MNC Runway & Risk Insulation: The agility and upside of an entrepreneurial scale-up, backed by the deep balance sheet, operational infrastructure, and governance of an established Indian conglomerate.
• Portfolio-Wide Career Progression: Exceptional performance in this high-visibility business unit unlocks strategic executive pathways across the MNC parent group's diverse cross-industry portfolio.

Key Responsibilities:

1. P&L & Enterprise Growth Strategy:

• Assume complete, end-to-end accountability for top-line revenue, gross margins, EBITDA, and working capital optimization across all SKU lines.
• Develop and execute a 3-5 year strategic blueprint to expand the business unit well beyond its current - 100+ Crore baseline.
• Evaluate product life cycles, optimize portfolio contribution margins, and lead resource allocation decisions across commercial operations.

2. Commercial Go-To-Market & Field Execution:

• Supervise, restructure, and scale a high-velocity pan-India field force, setting rigorous KPIs, incentive structures, and territory-level performance benchmarks.
• Establish distribution depth across hospital pharmacies, retail chemist networks, ethical stockist channels, and emerging institutional platforms.
• Implement contemporary sales-force automation (SFA) and digital CRM architectures to drive field productivity and chemist-level coverage.

3. Scientific Marketing & Rx Advocacy (HCP Engagement):

• Pivot brand perceptions by grounding the portfolio firmly in evidence-based medicine, clinical trials, and mechanism-of-action clarity.
• Build trust and adoption across key medical specialties (General Medicine, Diabetology, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Oncology, etc.).
• Partner with Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), academic medical bodies, and specialist associations through structured CME programs, observational studies, and clinical advisory boards.

4. New Product Launches & Portfolio Lifecycle:

• Collaborate with internal R&D, regulatory, and business development teams to identify high-growth therapeutic gaps and fast-track line extensions.
• Ensure disciplined, cross-functional execution for new SKU rollouts - from packaging and positioning to pricing strategies and field launch toolkits.

5. Talent & Institutional Governance:

• Cultivate a high-performance culture balancing startup urgency with enterprise compliance, ethical marketing (UCPMP adherence), and MNC corporate governance standards.
• Mentor and upskill middle-management leadership across marketing, sales operations, and commercial support functions.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Total Experience: 20+ years of progressive commercial and executive leadership experience in the Indian Pharmaceutical/Life Sciences ecosystem.
• P&L Track Record: Demonstrated history of full P&L accountability (minimum - 100-300+ Cr scope) overseeing integrated Sales, Brand Marketing, and Commercial Operations.
• Therapeutic Background: Deep expertise in core ethical/prescription (Rx) therapeutic segments (e.g., chronic, sub-chronic, or acute specialty care). Prior exposure to phytopharmaceuticals, botanical drugs, or evidence-based nutraceuticals is an added advantage.
• Sales & Marketing Balance: Balanced capability across both ground-level field leadership (building/managing large field forces) and strategic upstream/downstream brand building.
• Education: Full-time MBA from a premier business school. Undergraduate degree in Pharmacy (B.Pharm/M.Pharm) strongly preferred; candidates with Life Sciences/B.Sc/B.Tech Biotech backgrounds with relevant pharma track records will also be evaluated.