Varun Kakaria Driving North America Digital Transformation for Mars Petcare

Varun Kakaria is now serving as Mars Petcare's chief digital and information officer for North America.

Kakaria made the switch from Reckitt in July and now focuses on driving business growth for Mars' pet nutrition business through digital and AI transformation, prioritizing a high-performance culture that emphasizes shared success and aligns with the company's core values and strategic goals, according to LinkedIn.

Kakaria spent more than 12 years at Reckitt, spearheading global commercial technology and digital strategy and culminating in regional leadership roles as CIO for both South Asia and North America. Across these positions, he drove large-scale digital transformations and RGM and sales execution systems across diverse international markets. 

He presented the keynote at CGT's Analytics Unite conference last year, sharing his three-pronged approach to AI and technology within retail execution that takes into consideration channel structures, data maturity and cost to serve.  

Kakaria also received a CGT Data Leadership Award last year for his part in developing and expanding a dual-engine sales and RGM platform across more than 35 markets, which revolutionized how Reckitt's global markets manage revenue, set prices and promotions, and execute at the point of sale. 

"I had the privilege of leading at the intersection of business, digital and AI alongside exceptionally talented teams and leaders around the world," he said on LinkedIn. "I believe technology is at its best when it solves real problems, simplifies complexity and delivers measurable value."