My mother, my guru
Neha Mansukhani Singh, Senior Marketing Manager (Champagnes, Single Malts and Vodka), Moët Hennessy India, believes that working in the alcobev industry has given her the opportunity to meet & learn from colleagues from across the world.’
Neha Mansukhani Singh has always been a Mumbai girl, with the exception of a few years in Delhi. She believes that her affinity towards the busy, go-getter energy of the commercial capital of India, along with her parents’ strong impetus on knowledge did build the distinct pillars of her value system. Raised on books and encouraged to always have and voice her own opinion, her childhood teemed with Enid Blyton novels. After passing out from St. Xavier’s Mumbai with an advance degree in communications, she spent a few years learning the ropes of brand management and strategy, first at Lowe, and then at Tata Global Beverages, before moving on to pursue her MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Since the very beginning of her career, she has worked very closely with different segments of the beverage industry. “At my first job with Lowe, I worked on the Tata Tea mandate and was part of the team that devised and executed the iconic Jaago Re campaign. Besides being around with some of the most respected names in Indian advertising, and learning the ins and outs of the trade, I do believe that my time at Lowe gave my work ethic a solid anchor,” she discloses.
Brand Positioning
Thereafter, she moved to Tata Global Beverages and launched Himalayan mineral water while there. “After completing B-school, I was keen to apply myself in a new role,” Neha recollects. She currently heads the Marketing function at Moët Hennessy India for the champagne, vodka and single malt portfolios. “In this role, I craft marketing strategies to build the luxury positioning of our champagne range, while rapidly growing the spirits portfolio. Given my past experience, I work with a multifunctional team to build on-trade, retail and consumer platforms across the Indian sub-continent,” she asserts. She says Moet Hennessy India has impacted her career growth immensely. “Over the seven years that I have been with Moët Hennessy, I have had the honour and pleasure of not only working with some of the world’s most revered luxury brands but also to meet and learn from colleagues from across the world. Each of us at Moët Hennessy is inspired to look at the timelessness of our brands. We don’t just market wines & spirits, but tactile representations of savoir-faire that has gone into the making of these beautiful bottles. Based on this premise, my role has oscillated between marketer and story-teller,” she conveys.
Empowering Moments
According to her, her most empowering moments with Moët Hennessy India was “when we created and successfully launched the Belvedere Studio B in 2018. In the absence of a singular representative for global platform for Belvedere at that point, Studio B was conceptualised via inspiration from the coming together of water and rye to make our vodka. Needless to say, this proved to be a great metaphor for the spirit of collaboration.” Talking about her goal in life, Neha says wistfully it is to be impactful. “If what I do or what I have to say does not create a feedback loop, I would rather not do it,” she points out. She looks up to her mother as her guru & mentor. “She was the first woman to ever have topped the Indian Administrative Services exam in the 1970s and then went on to have an illustrious career in the Indian Revenue Services; retiring a few years ago as the Commissioner of Income Tax, Maharashtra,” informs Neha with a beaming smile. On striking a work-life balance, she says, “I have always believed in the power of prioritising. It helps me de-clutter my day and focus well on the task at hand.” “Having said that, work-life generally balances out organically when there is an empowered team at work and a strong, understanding support system at home,” she opines.
