Alex Augustine joins WayCool Foods as Chief People Officer
Chennai, 20th October 2021: WayCool Foods, India’s fastest growing agri-commerce company, has brought on board Alex Augustine as its Chief People Officer (CPO). Alex is a business leader with over twenty-seven years of multi-sector generalist experience in HR and Operations joining WayCool to help architect the future of its distributed workforce. WayCool has recently announced aggressive expansion plans within and beyond India, and is also closing its next round of fund raising to enable the same.
In this role, Alex will oversee best practices in human resources management, operations, organizational deve lopment, talent management and talent acquisition. He will also have a focus on the company’s culture and em ployee engagement as WayCool continues to grow its workforce throughout India and expands its international operations.
“In the past 18 months, WayCool has grown 4X, and has added over 1000 family members in just the last 6 mont hs. The company has continued to invest in people development, having recently launched one of the most com prehensive coaching, learning and organizational development programs covering over 130 of its senior execut ives, besides extensive product and functional training to all its family members through its in-house university, MILL. Given the planned surge in the next 18 months, it is critical to take our people and culture building efforts to the next level. For close to three decades, Alex has been at the forefront in catering to complex models at sca le across industries from Hospitality to agricultural supply chains, technology and distribution enterprises to o utsourced services. He has an unshakeable belief in success and clarity on how to achieve it” said, Karthik Jaya raman, CEO and Co-Founder, WayCool Foods. “Alex’s impressive leadership acumen, combined with his exper ti se in transforming culture and employee performance, will play an essential role as we continue to scale our en trepreneurial culture-driven company in high growth mode. Thus, keeping us at the forefront of the tech en ab led food supply chain market. We are excited to welcome Alex to the team as we continue to build capacities, capabilities, and talent for the vibrant future of agri-commerce in India and globally” further added, Karthik.
“I am excited to join India’s fastest growing agri-commerce com panies, driving social impact while transforming India’s food eco nomy. My priority at WayCool will be to leverage and build on the success the company has ex perienced to date, understanding wh at we must accomplish from a business strategy point of view and then ensuring we have the organizational structure and people res ources to achieve that in a diverse and inclusive manner. As a te am, we aim to build the world’s largest food development and di stribution services company” commented, Alex Augustine, Chief People Officer, WayCool Foods.
Alex brings exceptional experience across all facets of human resources strategy and development on a global scale, having served most recently as the Chief People and Culture Officer for the India operations of ISS World, one of the world’s leading outsourced services companies, operating in 30+ countries worldwide. As CPCO, Alex oversaw HR strategy and development for ISS’s 45,000+ employees. Prior to ISS, Alex worked with CMS Infosys tem, as a core member of the Executive Committee leading the HR function for a team of 24,000 employees in a transformation journey in CMS becoming the No:1 in India and Fifth largest company in the world in Cash man agement. He also held impactful roles with Ingram Micro, AVT McCormick and with the Taj Group of Hotels.
Alex holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from Loyola College Chennai and Masters in Personnel Management from Madras School of Social Work.
WayCool has been quietly building its leadership bench strength over the past few months, even as it raced to close its fund raising round. Recent joinees include Jayan Menon – Head – Marketplaces vertical, who joined the company from Olam, and V Jayaraman, a banking and financial services veteran, who now leads the company’s financial services vertical.
About WayCool
WayCool Foods is India’s largest and fastest growing agri-commerce company. Focusing on food development and distribution, the company leverages innovative technology to scale and operate a complex supply chain fr om soil to sale. Through its farmer engagement program – Outgrow, WayCool works with 85000+ farmers. Way Cool operates a full stack, broadline product range across multiple channels and categories such as fresh prod uce, staples, and dairy, serving over 50,000 clients in the general trade, modern trade, and food services space. Waycool’s consumer brands basket consists of Madhuram, Shuddha, Kitchenji, L’exotique, and Freshey’s, to name a few.
