Javed Ahmed, a Pakistani American businessman, who is currently serving as chief executive of Tate & Lyle PLC (British-based multinational agribusiness), was born on 10 February 1960. He graduated magna cum
Javed Ahmed
Javed Ahmed, a Pakistani American businessman, who is currently serving as chief executive of Tate & Lyle PLC (British-based multinational agribusiness), was born on 10 February 1960. He graduated magna cum laude, 'phi beta kappa' from Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts, in 1982, and received an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business in 1984.
Javed Ahmed started his career with Procter & Gamble, before spending five years with Bain & Co. He joined Benckiser in 1992 as General Manager of Canada. He then moved to UK to run their UK and Irish operations in 1995. Javed gained significant experience of international consumer goods markets and held positions including Senior Vice President, Northern Europe; President, North America; Executive Vice President, North America, Australia and New Zealand; and Executive Vice President, Europe.
In 1999, his responsibilities within Reckitt Benckiser PLC, were extended to Senior Vice President, Northern Europe. He served as the President of North America since 2001, Executive Vice President of North America, Australia and New Zealand since 2003 and Executive Vice President of Europe since 2008.
Javed Ahmed Joined the Tate & Lyle Board, the maker of Splenda sweetener and Golden Syrup, as Chief Executive in October 2009. Tate & Lyle, saw its shares soar to a seven-month high on news that its chief executive, Iain Ferguson, will be replaced by Javed Ahmed, an executive at Reckitt Benckiser. Javed Ahmed, executive vice-president of European operations at the consumer products group, did not inherit an easy situation when he took over.
His predecessor presided over three years of decline in full-year profits, multiple debt down-grades and fall in the share price. The company, once the world's biggest sugar refiner, was ejected from the FTSE 100 index and lost a legal battle claiming that the Chinese product sucralose was infringing the patent on its high-margin sweetener Splenda.