Youtube, Google: 6 global brands you probably didn’t know are led by Indians

“Who’s the YouTube CEO?”

If you Google this question, you’ll be surprised by the answer. The same goes for Microsoft, Starbucks and Chanel. 

Apart from being giants in their respective industries, there’s one more thing they share in common: these brands are led by Indians.

Once known as a group of students who have sailed away to countries such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and more, in search of a good education, these individuals are now making waves in the US — becoming well-known CEOs and professionals. 

From Sundar Pichai to Anjali Sud, these Indian CEOs are inspiring role models for many international students. 

In this, you might wonder: what’s behind their journey from student to sensation?

We take a closer look at these famous Indian CEOs, where they studied and how they rose to the top of their careers.

Who’s the YouTube CEO and other global brands that are led by Indians: 

1. Neal Mohan

Neil Mohan completed both his undergraduate and MBA at Stanford University. Photo: Brian Ach/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP

Born in Lucknow, Neal Mohan is an international student who studied abroad in the US.  

Mohan studied Electrical Engineering at Stanford University and continued pursuing his MBA at the Graduate School of Business. 

He succeeded Susan Wojcicki in taking over YouTube, making him the current CEO of YouTube. His previous experiences include working as a Senior Analyst at Accenture and Senior Vice President at Google.

2. Laxman Narasimhan

Another former international student in the US is the current CEO of Starbucks, Laxman Narasimhan.

Raised in Pune, he earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering Pune. 

He flew to the US to further his postgraduate studies with a MA in German and International Studies from The Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Narasimhan has worked across multiple industries – retail, technology, healthcare, energy, and manufacturing. 

He spent 19 years at McKinsey and Company – going from director to location manager at the New Delhi office. He was also the Chief Commercial Officer at PepsiCo.

3. Sundar Pichai

Sundar Pichai is known for popularising the Android operating system. Source: Jerod Harris/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP

Coming from a humble background, Pichai Sundararajan (better known as Sundar Pichai) is the current CEO of Google and has always been a bright student, which granted him opportunities to study at prestigious educational institutions abroad. 

After earning his degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur, he went to the US to pursue an MS in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. 

The Google CEO was named a Siebel Scholar and a Palmer Scholar during his time there, respectively.’

He is known for promoting the Android operating system.

4. Anjali Sud

CEO of Vimeo Anjali Sud was listed as one of the Fortune’s 40 under 40 rising business leaders in 2018. Photo: Lars Niki /Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP

Anjali Sud is an American citizen with Indian origins and is currently the CEO of Vimeo. She was listed as one of Fortune’s 40 Under 40 rising business leaders in 2018.

Sud graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with a BSc in Finance and Management and received her MBA from Harvard Business School.

5. Leena Nair

 

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Though not an international student, Leena Nair is equally successful as everyone on the list. She has made a career for herself through her years of human resources experience to become Chanel’s Global CEO. 

Previously served as the Chief Human Resource Officer of Unilever, she was responsible for the company’s human capital, which operated across multiple regulatory and labour environments across 190 countries. 

What’s more, Unilever has been named the number one FMCG graduate employer of choice in 54 countries under her leadership. 

The Global CEO is also an advocate for human-centred workplaces and compassionate leadership.

6. Devika Bulchandani

Global CEO of Ogilvy Devika Bulchandani was born in Amritsar. She stayed in the country to finish high school and earned her degree in English and Psychology at St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. 

Later, she went on to pursue a Master’s in Communications at the University of Southern California in 1991. 

Today, she is the first Indian-origin person to head the New York-based British advertising agency, Ogilvy.