Ramchander Avanavadi Subramaniam: Driving Global Business Growth And Innovation Through Strategic Marketing Leadership
Ramchander Avanavadi Subramaniam
Senior Managing Partner
He began his journey as a young management trainee at Kansai Paints (then Goodlass Nerolac) where he found himself leading a sales team of seasoned professionals. As the former global CMO for Castrol, he led a global team of marketers before starting Klarendon Partners with his trusted colleagues, Mandhir Singh and Omar Dormen. The consultancy team brings the collective experience of 100+ years which enables them to solve problems, carve innovative solutions, and provide systematic implementation coaching to empower leadership and guide clients across B2B, B2C, and B2B2C segments globally.
Engaging in an immersive interaction with CEO Insights magazine, Ramchander shares his strategies, leadership guidelines, future roadmap, and much more. Let's delve into it.
Having worked across India, the Asia-Pacific region, and the UK, what strategy plans have you adopted to engage new audiences in the market?
I have had a long journey at Castrol, starting as head of marketing for the Asia Pacific region to the Director and P&L head at Castrol India and finally 10 plus years as global CMO. I had the opportunity to lead and develop several strategic initiatives for Castrol in India and globally, in the areas of brand development, sponsorships, distribution excellence and the
fascinating area of brand building with key influencers.
One of the key initiatives we employed was collaborating with automotive mechanics. They are extremely critical for vehicle maintenance and an extremely important influencer in consumer decision making process. However they often struggle with trust and recognition. We created market-winning marketing strategies where we focused on their needs and pain points, including skill building, recognition, and helped them navigate the trends of future automotive technology. We aimed to empower them and build their skills, instead of simply offering incentives or rewards.
Another initiative, which was successful in Latin America, targeted women in the automotive space which is traditionally a male-dominated domain. Our research suggested that many women would rather rely on others to make decisions about maintenance. There fore, we launched an educational campaign to empower them by teaching them how to choose a trustworthy workshop, what to look for in a good mechanic, and how to take charge of their vehicle's upkeep.
What distinguishes your leadership in the industry, and what principles or methodologies guide your approach?
My leadership focuses on inclusion, continuous learning, and accountability. I believe that diverse perspectives enhance the quality of decisions, therefore, I ensure that every voice is heard.
I have been a lifelong learner and encourage my team to embrace the same mindset. I lead by example by being the first to enroll for new courses and programs.
Lastly, I hold my team accountable for performance and behavior. I have seen careers soar when people excel at both.
What are the skills that you look for in fresh candidates in the market?
Apart from specific skills and training required for a particular role, I evaluate how a new candidate would fit into the team. I look for people who can be effective team players, communicate well, and simplify complex ideas when required.
Skills can be learned over time but attitude and mindset are the real factors that truly set some
One of the key initiatives we employed was collaborating with automotive mechanics. They are extremely critical for vehicle maintenance and an extremely important influencer in consumer decision making process. However they often struggle with trust and recognition. We created market-winning marketing strategies where we focused on their needs and pain points, including skill building, recognition, and helped them navigate the trends of future automotive technology. We aimed to empower them and build their skills, instead of simply offering incentives or rewards.
Marketing magic happens when our people not only sell our brand but become the brand
Another initiative, which was successful in Latin America, targeted women in the automotive space which is traditionally a male-dominated domain. Our research suggested that many women would rather rely on others to make decisions about maintenance. There fore, we launched an educational campaign to empower them by teaching them how to choose a trustworthy workshop, what to look for in a good mechanic, and how to take charge of their vehicle's upkeep.
What distinguishes your leadership in the industry, and what principles or methodologies guide your approach?
My leadership focuses on inclusion, continuous learning, and accountability. I believe that diverse perspectives enhance the quality of decisions, therefore, I ensure that every voice is heard.
I have been a lifelong learner and encourage my team to embrace the same mindset. I lead by example by being the first to enroll for new courses and programs.
Lastly, I hold my team accountable for performance and behavior. I have seen careers soar when people excel at both.
What are the skills that you look for in fresh candidates in the market?
Apart from specific skills and training required for a particular role, I evaluate how a new candidate would fit into the team. I look for people who can be effective team players, communicate well, and simplify complex ideas when required.
Skills can be learned over time but attitude and mindset are the real factors that truly set some
one up for success in the long run.
How do you keep yourself up to date with the ongoing industry trends?
Engaging in a mix of activities helps me to stay abreast with evolving trends. I sub scribe to newsletters and magazines but also hold coffee conversations with people I have worked with in the past as well as my current clients. A quick 10 to 15 minute chat can provide new learnings and insights. If some thing piques my interest, I dive deeper through online research.
I also love teaching and often engage with the students at various business schools. My alma mater, IIMB and Durham University Business School have proved to be fertile learning grounds for me. I have done short lecture modules on personal branding, brand management, and strategic marketing. Teaching is an experience where I share my knowledge and also gain invaluable ideas and perspec -tives from the next generation.
What is the future roadmap you have envisioned for yourself?
During the first wave of COVID-19, I was critically ill in London and spent seven days in the ICU. The doctor told me, that if I did not improve in the next 24 hours, they would put me on a ventilator.
I had life-altering reflections in those 24 hours which made me decide that I need to prioritize family time, travel more, and give back to the community. I no longer see my work as a pursuit of accolades but as an opportunity to give and share my insights.
In the future, I aim to continue guiding my clients, contributing to education, and spending time with family and friends.
Ramchander Avanavadi Subra- maniam, Senior Mana- ging Partner, Klarendon Partners
Ramchander has a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Osmania University (Hyderabad) and a PGDM in Marketing and Finance from the Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore). He has served as CEO and Director of Mindspark Ventures (Singapore), Board Advisor at Durham University Business School, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Castrol, Marketing Director for Asia Pacific, Executive Director for Automotive Lubricants, and Area Sales Manager at Kansai Nerolac Paints.
He is a board level advisor to several firms in the automotive aftermarket category, globally and in India.
How do you keep yourself up to date with the ongoing industry trends?
Engaging in a mix of activities helps me to stay abreast with evolving trends. I sub scribe to newsletters and magazines but also hold coffee conversations with people I have worked with in the past as well as my current clients. A quick 10 to 15 minute chat can provide new learnings and insights. If some thing piques my interest, I dive deeper through online research.
I also love teaching and often engage with the students at various business schools. My alma mater, IIMB and Durham University Business School have proved to be fertile learning grounds for me. I have done short lecture modules on personal branding, brand management, and strategic marketing. Teaching is an experience where I share my knowledge and also gain invaluable ideas and perspec -tives from the next generation.
What is the future roadmap you have envisioned for yourself?
During the first wave of COVID-19, I was critically ill in London and spent seven days in the ICU. The doctor told me, that if I did not improve in the next 24 hours, they would put me on a ventilator.
I had life-altering reflections in those 24 hours which made me decide that I need to prioritize family time, travel more, and give back to the community. I no longer see my work as a pursuit of accolades but as an opportunity to give and share my insights.
In the future, I aim to continue guiding my clients, contributing to education, and spending time with family and friends.
Ramchander Avanavadi Subra- maniam, Senior Mana- ging Partner, Klarendon Partners
Ramchander has a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering from Osmania University (Hyderabad) and a PGDM in Marketing and Finance from the Indian Institute of Management (Bangalore). He has served as CEO and Director of Mindspark Ventures (Singapore), Board Advisor at Durham University Business School, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Castrol, Marketing Director for Asia Pacific, Executive Director for Automotive Lubricants, and Area Sales Manager at Kansai Nerolac Paints.
He is a board level advisor to several firms in the automotive aftermarket category, globally and in India.