Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) has announced the appointment of Fariyha Subhani as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, starting from April 15th, 2024. Subhani assumes the role of Managing Director from Monisha Abraham, who has held the position since December 2021. Before joining CTC, Fariyha Subhani served as the Managing Director of Upfield (Private) Limited, South & Central Asia, a prominent private equity food company.
During her tenure, she accumulated 28 years of experience at Unilever PLC, during which she occupied several senior leadership positions spanning different geographical locations and diverse FMCG categories. In 2002, she embarked on an international assignment to Thailand with Unilever, overseeing Global and Regional brands in the Homecare sector. Her successful stewardship lasted for over three years before she returned to Unilever Pakistan in 2006 to lead the operations there.
In 2009, she assumed the role of CEO of UPFL (Upfield Foods Ltd) and became a member of UPFL's board. Concurrently, she also assumed the position of Director Foods, overseeing the ice cream and tea categories in addition to her existing portfolio. Under her leadership, she fostered a positive organizational culture and drove profitable growth for the business. During her tenure as Managing Director for South and Central Asia, she spearheaded the establishment of a new business venture with Upfield (Private) Limited in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
She played a pivotal role in establishing a top-tier team and implementing sustainable business practices, systems, and operations to drive the expansion of retail and food service businesses, resulting in profitable growth over a five-year span. Additionally, she ardently championed Upfield's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) agenda throughout the region. Subhani holds an MSC in International Relations from Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad, and an MBA from Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.