JOHN CHARLES PINTO

A18 WEST END
NEW DELHI 110 021

Tel(Res): xx 91 11 410 1741
Tel(Off): xx  91 11 651 2176
Mobile: xx 91 98100  76934
eMail: john_pinto@email.whirlpool.com

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Chartered Accountant by profession with varied experience in diverse situations: 

•	Worked as CFO in MNCs with exposure to Treasury, IT, M&A and Internal Audit
•	International experience including 4½ years in Korea & 1½ years in London, both stints with Unilever
•	Considerable knowledge of FMCG (Unilever) & Consumer Durables (Whirlpool) industries
•	Experience in start-up environments

POSITIONS HELD &  KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

5/97 – Date              Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer, Whirlpool of India Ltd
		      (Reporting to Chairman)

•	Company turnover US$ 200 million
•	Played critical & pioneering role in turnaround of company and strengthening its balance sheet thru major cashflow initiatives
•	Sound Treasury & Financial Management
•	Significantly improved Management Information & Control
•	Strongly positioned & implemented IT Strategy
•	Created outstanding Finance/IT Organisation
•	Developed excellent external contacts

8/96 - 4/97              Div. Vice-president Finance, Brooke Bond Lipton (India) Ltd
		    (Reporting to Managing Director)	

•	Company turnover  US$ 400 million
•	Effective commercial support to varied businesses

7/94 - 7/96               General Manager, Hindustan Lever Ltd 
                                Kwality Ice-cream Acquisition Team, Dy Head Ice-cream Business
		     (Reporting to Executive Director)	

•	Brought complex deal to closure
•	Resolved contentious post-acquisition issues amicably

4/91 - 6/94              General Manager - Internal Audit, Hindustan Lever Ltd
		     (Reporting to Chairman HLL & Chief Auditor, Unilever, London)
			
•	Responsibility for Unilever Group Companies: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Pakistan
•	Combined turnover US$ 2.5 billion
•	Built world-class audit team highly respected by organisation

DETAILED EXPERIENCE

5/97 – Date              Executive Director & Chief Financial Officer, Whirlpool of India Ltd
		       Head of Microwave Oven Business Unit (Mar 2000)

Management Information & Control

•	Restored company to stable internal control environment in a situation where fundamental controls were seriously lacking: accounts receivable, inventories, bank accounts;
•	Established and streamlined  budgetary control systems for revenue and capital expenditure;
•	Enforced accounting principles in line with US GAAP;
•	Significantly improved accuracy and reliability of management information;
•	Defined ideal cost-structure model for business.

Ownership & Capital Structure

•	Raised Whirlpool Corporation’s holding from 56% to 82% through acquisition of Indian co-promoter’s holdings and merger of wholly owned  Finance Company with Shareholder/High Court approvals;
•	Innovatively merged  Finance Company with retrospective effect to recover US$ 2 mil past corporate taxes;
•	Deferred Royalty to parent with Government approval in order to stabilise financial position;
•	Implemented Capital Reduction with High Court approval to optimise equity infusion;
•	Secured full subscription to Rights Issue (US$ 19 mil) through proper pricing and effective marketing.

Treasury & Financial Management

•	Actively pursued loan disbursements from banks & FIs for Pune no-frost refrigerator project;
•	Significantly reduced working capital through strong focus on accounts receivable and creative increase in payables by using bills of exchange;
•	Timely disposed of Consumer Finance Company for US$ 10 mil (book value US$ 4 mil);
•	Obtained release of and sold land under acquisition in critical deal for US$ 1.7 mil;
•	Obtained Customs Duty refund after extended legal battle of US$ 2 mil;
•	Efficiently structured indirect taxes to substantially improve profitability;
•	Streamlined management of foreign exchange exposures to reduce cover costs;
•	Restructured debt portfolio and raised low-cost bonds through private placement for US$ 12.5 mil;
•	Extensively promoted use of CP, FCNR, MIBOR-linked debentures to lower ST interest costs;
•	Pursuing resolution of old export obligation (liability: US$ 4.5 mil) requiring change in Government Policy.

Information Technology

•	Organised team of 35 professionals and completed flawless roll-out of SAP (ERP solution) in 43 locations around the country;
•	Established WAN for SAP through pioneering, low capital instensity, futuristic VPN route;
•	Outsourced IT operations to IBM in strategic US$ 18 mil, 10 year deal;
•	Created sound IT organisation structure for future business needs.

Manpower Development

•	Developed succession plan for key positions including CFO, CIO, Head Legal & Taxation;
•	Rotated jobs for 25% of finance managers in one year;
•	Aggressively recruited at grass-root level to build strong finance cadre;
•	Maintained high level of motivation in finance team.

External Contacts

•	Developed good contacts at highest levels in Finance, Commerce & Environment Ministries;
•	Maintained strong professional relationships with key process partners: Auditors, Lawyers, Bankers, Consultants, Financial Institutions, SAP, IBM, SIFY;
•	Extensive contacts with CEOs and senior management in several companies in India.

Microwave Business Unit

•	Launched new business category in key cities  with minimal manpower resources and advertising support;
•	Established robust product portfolio & market pricing;
•	Significantly raised profile and “ownership” of MWO business within organisation;
•	Turned modest operating profit of US$ 200K in first year of operation with market share of 7%.

8/96 - 4/97              Div. Vice-president Finance, Brooke Bond Lipton (India) Ltd

•	Management Information & Financial Accounting
•	Treasury Management
•	Information Technology
•	Legal Function
•	Company Secretarial
•	Functional support to business Commercial Managers

7/94 - 7/96               General Manager, Hindustan Lever Ltd 
                                Kwality Ice-cream Acquisition Team, Dy Head Ice-cream Business

•	Member of high-powered team handling acquisition
•	Involved in detailed negotiations with four families
•	Actively assisted in bringing complex deals to closure
•	Resolved satisfactorily contentious post-acquisition issues
•	Simultaneously head of Western Region of Ice-cream Business

4/91 - 6/94              General Manager - Internal Audit, Hindustan Lever Ltd

•	Head of Unilever Audit in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh
•	Reported to Chairman HLL & Chief Auditor, Unilever, London
•	Effectively managed team of 12 high quality professionals
•	Indian department considered amongst top 3 in Unilever world for its high quality of audit issues and reports

1/90 - 3/91              Secondment to Unilever International Audit, London

6/85 - 12/89             Commercial Controller, Aekyung Industrial Co Ltd, Korea

•	50:50 JV of Unilever & local Korean partner
•	Part of 3 member expatriate management team
•	Successfully “Unileverised” management information & accounting
•	Computerised accounting & sales operations

12/72 - 5/85             Management Positions, Hindustan Lever Ltd

•	Commercial Manager/ Detergents (10/83 – 5/85)
•	Commercial Manager/Animal Feeds (10/78 – 9/83)
•	Site Accountant, Haldia Project (10/76 – 9/78)
•	Accountant, Garden Reach Factory (6/74 – 9/76)
•	Management Trainee (12/72 – 5/74)

8/72 - 11/72             Accounts Officer, Pfizer Ltd, Bombay

EDUCATION

1965  St Mary’s High School, Bombay                         Indian School Certificate (Cambridge)      Div I

1969  GS College of Commerce, Jabalpur                   Bachelor of Commerce                             Div I, 2nd Univ Rank

1970  Institute of Chartered Accountants of India         Intermediate Examination                         67%, 25th India Rank

1972  Institute of Chartered Accountants of India         Chartered  Accountant                             60%, 30th India Rank

PERSONAL

Date of Birth:  4 November, 1949

Father’s Name & Occupation: Late Shri H F Pinto, Addl Member Traffic, Railway Board (retd 1974)

Marital Status: Wife, Mini, Global Director Market Research (Internet & New Initiatives), Reckitt Benckiser, London                                                           

                         Son, Abhishek, 18 yrs, Freshman, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
                          
                          Daughter, Ambalika, 15 yrs, Std X, Modern School, New Delhi

Languages: English (high proficiency), French (distinction in  “O” levels with aurals), Korean (rudimentary, spoken)

Interests: Physical fitness activities, barbequing, writing

References: Mr K B Dadiseth, Director, Unilever, Unilever House, PO Box 86, Blackfriars, London EC4P 4BQ
                      Tel# xx-44-20-7822 6990 (off), xx-44-7712 663706 (mobile)		

                     Mr M K Sharma, Vice-Chairman, Hindustan Lever Ltd, 165/166 Backbay Reclamation, Mumbai 400 020
	     Tel# xx-91-22-285 5386 (off), xx-91-9820036328 (mobile)

Dated: December,2000