Speakers

An accomplished business leader with over three decades of experience in FMCG, Sharath Babu currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Al Khayyat Investments (AKI), where he leads a team of 450+ employees and oversees a portfolio generating over USD 200 million in annual revenue. Under his leadership, the business has tripled in size over three years, driven by strategic brand acquisitions, a best-in-class route-to-market model, and a strong culture of executional excellence.

Throughout his career, Sharath has consistently delivered growth and operational transformation across regional and global markets. At AKI, he introduced AI-enabled digital tools, strengthened supplier partnerships, and built a performance-driven culture anchored in KPIs, employee empowerment, and cross-functional collaboration. His leadership has also earned AKI the distinction of being recognized as a Great Place to Work, with outstanding employee engagement scores.

Prior to AKI, he held various positions in Mondelez international handling global brands such as Oreo, Tang, Kraft cheese, Toblerone etc... He held several senior roles across marketing, commercial, logistics, and sales functions, managing revenues exceeding USD 290 million and leading diverse teams and distributor networks across the GCC and MENA regions.

A collaborative and people-centric leader, Sharath is known for building agile, high-performing teams, embracing innovation, and navigating complexity with resilience and vision.