MAM
Carson Dalton bids adieu to Coca-Cola, pops the cap on GSK role
MUMBAI: Carson Dalton is on the move again. After nearly five years of stirring up success at Coca-Cola, he’s now uncapping a fresh opportunity at GSK as executive vice president – communications & government affairs. From fizzy drinks to pharmaceuticals, Dalton’s career shift is as refreshing as an ice-cold cola on a scorching summer day. But what made him trade in the red can for the white lab coat? Let’s dive in.
At the end of February, Dalton waved goodbye to The Coca-Cola Company, leaving behind an iconic American brand with a truly global footprint. “Coca-Cola is an iconic American company with a set of truly global brands, it is also a profoundly local business as all beverages are made in a country. This means the company has a significant socio-economic multiplier effect in the local communities where it is served,” he reflected.
Dalton, who was at the heart of Coca-Cola’s communications across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives, had his hands full juggling multiple stakeholders. “The efforts of my multi-faceted and agile team involve enabling and protecting the interconnected value chain of our brands and bottling partners. We engage with bottling teams, collaborate with local and global functions, consumers, partners, customers, and various external stakeholders.”
For Dalton, the magic of Coca-Cola wasn’t just in its fizzy formulas but in the bigger picture—how consumer goods mirror economic trajectories. “Since joining the company, I’ve been most excited to focus my efforts at the intersection of business, economics and governance as the growth of consumer goods mirrors the overall economic trajectory of a country,” he said.
He leaves behind a legacy of strategic storytelling, navigating regulatory landscapes, and, of course, ensuring that every sip of Coke came with a side of strong brand positioning. But he’s not one to stay still for long. He’s already got his next big gig lined up.
“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as executive vice president – communications & government affairs at GSK!” he announced, barely letting the Coca-Cola bubbles settle.
Corporate careers, he muses, are a game of ladders—each step bringing new challenges, new drinks (Thums Up, in his case), and a higher vantage point to survey the landscape. “Growth is the blood of a career. It is akin to a step ladder – you climb a step every few years, do a high five, have a celebratory drink (of Thums Up), elevate your network, look at the world around you from the newfound height and then look up the steps above yet to be climbed.”
And climb he has. The move to GSK puts Dalton at the helm of communications and government affairs for a global pharmaceutical giant. It’s a shift from sugary indulgence to healthcare essentials, but if anyone can navigate the high-pressure world of corporate storytelling, it’s him.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
