WESTLIFE MANAGEMENT
WFL is managed and consulted by a highly experienced leadership team that shares the collective vision of building the brand as a leader in the Indian QSR industry. The leaders bring experience and insights across functions including strategy, operations, finance, and QSR.
AMIT JATIA – Chairperson
Mr. Amit Jatia is the Chairperson at Westlife Foodworld Limited, formerly known as Westlife Development, the master franchisee of McDonald’s restaurants in West & South India.
In his role as the leader of the world’s largest and most loved QSR brand in West & South India, Amit is responsible for providing strategic direction to the business and leading the team towards achieving rapid growth and profitability.
Amit’s tryst with entrepreneurship started early when he joined his family’s manufacturing business and led many critical projects successfully. In 1996, Amit got the opportunity of setting up McDonald’s in India and has been an integral part of the QSR industry for over 27 years. Under his leadership, McDonald’s expanded its footprint to over 300 restaurants, launched its in-house coffee chain McCafé and scaled itself to a food tech company going from strength to strength.
Amit is passionate about mentoring businesses and often guides several other family-owned firms.
Smita Jatia – Vice Chairperson
Smita Jatia is the Vice Chairperson of Westlife Foodworld Ltd which owns and operates the master franchisee of McDonald’s restaurants in West and South India under their wholly owned subsidiary, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd. (HRPL). Smita is a business stalwart with over two decades of experience in the QSR industry. She has been at the forefront of leading the aggressive growth of McDonald’s in the market and building it as one of the most loved brands in the country.
Smita joined Westlife as the marketing spearheaded some of the most impactful campaigns for the brand. She eventually worked across functions including strategy, operations and HR, before she was given reins of the company as the MD.
Smita’s biggest strength lies in her astute understanding of commerce and customers alike. Under her leadership, McDonald’s has achieved many key milestones including reaching the Rs 1,000 cr revenue mark, launching McCafé, bringing the brave concept of Experience of The Future restaurants to India and launching the innovative, new service – On the Go on their McDelivery app during the pandemic.
A commerce graduate from Sydenham College, Mumbai, Smita has completed an 18-week executive management program from Harvard Business School, Boston. She has also undergone a rigorous Marketing and Restaurant Leadership program at the Hamburger University, USA.
AKSHAY JATIA – Executive Director
Akshay Jati is the Executive Director at Westlife Foodworld Ltd,formerly known as Westlife Development,the master franchisee of McDonald’s® restaurants in West & South India.Akshay spearheads the overall business strategy, brand extensions, and digital innovations for McDonald’s.A keen observer of the emerging needs of customers and evolving technology landscape, Akshay has led various business transformation initiatives that have accelerated the growth of the company on many counts. The launch of its ‘Experience of The Future’ (EOTF) restaurants or the emphasis on omnichannel experience for customers – McDelivery, McCafé, and McBreakfast,which, along with dine-in, has contributed more than 50% to the total sales in FY22 are a few examples. He even spearheaded strategic tie-ups with third-party delivery aggregators to expand McDonald’s delivery presence, a move that underscored the organization’s level of risk preparedness and supply-chain planning. Akshay joined HRPL in 2014 and over the last 6 years has worked cross-functionally to understand the nuances of strategy, operations, marketing, IT and synergized them to grow the brand. He also spent a year working across McDonald’s India restaurants to get first-hand learning of what goes behind running great restaurants. Along with a team of talented and experienced professionals, Akshay aspires to transform McDonald’s into a prominent food-tech company and drive the business to the next level of success. Akshay holds a Bachelor of Science degree with majors in Finance and International Business from Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University.
AMISHA JAIN – Independent Director
Amisha Jain, CEO of Zivame, is extremely passionate about building innovation-led consumer centric brands. She is now leading the fastest growing women’s organization for intimate wear and is all set to catapult the business to greater heights. She is a firm believer of “One Team, One Voice”. And this has been her foundation to build teams that are all individually strong and collectively effective at delivering business results. An alumna of INSEAD and McKinsey, she has over 16 years of experience in technology, consumer and retail sectors. Prior to joining Zivame, Amisha was heading the Arvind Sports Lifestyle business and the Digital Centre of Excellence for the Arvind Group. Through the course of her career, she has been leading the growth and transformation initiatives for multinational consumer goods, and apparel brands. During her stint as the Head of Sales at Nike, she was also chosen for the prestigious ‘40 under 40: India’s Hottest Business Leaders 2015’ and ‘India Inc’srising women business leaders 2015’ award by the Economic Times & Spencer Stuart, respectively. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and camping with her husband and her three-year-old son.
JYOTIN MEHTA – Independent director
A Rank holder (All India Rank 3) Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary and Management Accountant and Gold Medalist from University of Mumbai. Versatile finance and GRC professional with excellent academic credentials, held leadership positions in Voltas, ICICI Group and Shell Group of companies, with a rich experience of 40+ years in the areas of corporate finance, internal audit, corporate governance, risk and controls, company law and legal and regulatory compliance and customer service. Independent Director and Chairman/ member of various board committees in listed and unlisted companies including Linde India Limited, Suryoday Small Finance Bank, JSW Ispat Special Products Limited (JISPL), companies in the ICICI Group & M&M Group. Mentor & Coach for senior professionals. Visiting faculty at leading management schools in India, including SP Jain Institute of Management Research and Welingkar Institute of Management (WeSchool). Passionate about Governance, Technology, Customer Service LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jyotin-mehta-56b8a6/
13th June 2023
RAJENDRA MARIWALA – Independent director
Mr. Rajendra Mariwala has done his Masters in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University, USA. He is currently the Managing Director of Eternis Fine Chemicals Limited, a leading exporter of specialty chemicals – specifically chemicals for fragrances and personal care products. He brings with him a rich experience of over 30 years in fragrances and 18 years in leading a competitive business in specialty chemicals. He is on the Boards of Marico Limited and Kaya Limited. Additionally, he is President with Indian Chemical Council (ICC)
