Ranjana Smetacek
Director General at OPPI (Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India)
- Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- On October 3, 2013, Ms Ranjana Smetacek has taken over as the director general of the Organization of Pharmaceutical Producers of India (OPPI).
- OPPI, which was established in 1965, represents the research-driven pharmaceutical companies in India and remains committed to supporting the nation's healthcare objectives, collaborating with the Indian Government and other stakeholders to find sustainable solutions; solutions that balance the need for innovation with the necessity for more accessible medicines, within a robust IP environment. OPPI supports the Indian government's quest for more accessible and affordable medicines and welcomes a more comprehensive dialogue between private and government stakeholders.
https://in.linkedin.com/pub/ranjana-smetacek/15/502/364
Ranjana Smetacek (@rsmetacek) | Twitter
https://twitter.com/rsmetacek
Summary
Ranjana Smetacek has worked in Communications and Public Relations for over 25 years. She has experience in several industries and on every continent.
After
working for 10 years with a hotel, a pharma major and a PR agency, she
spent a decade with Monsanto Company, the world's largest agri-business
and a leader in crop biotechnology. Initially Ranjana was based out of
Mumbai and Delhi, leading Government Affairs, Public Affairs and
Industry Affairs for Monsanto in South Asia. India’s first biotech crop
was approved during this time, largely due to a meticulously planned and
PR-lead strategy. She was then picked for Monsanto's Asia Leadership
Program and did several month-long stints in Australia and China.
After six years with Monsanto in India, Ranjana transferred to Monsanto's St. Louis headquarters as Director - Global Biotech Acceptance and also supported projects in Europe, Africa and South America. Later she was designated Director - International Communications and formed the link between Monsanto headquarters and its country Public Affairs teams around the world. She returned to India in 2009 to join Bharti Enterprises as Head - Brand & Corporate Communications. Later, she joined Fortis Healthcare to lead Marketing & Corporate Communications for the hospital network.
She has now returned to Mumbai to lead OPPI (Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India) as Director General. This industry body represents the research-driven pharmaceutical companies in India and is focused on creating an environment conducive to innovation.
Specialties:
- Advocacy programs for outreach to diverse stakeholders
- Communications strategies that advance business objectives
- Experience across the globe that makes for the cultural sensitivity to be effective anywhere
- Training for effective communication, media preparedness, crisis containment
After six years with Monsanto in India, Ranjana transferred to Monsanto's St. Louis headquarters as Director - Global Biotech Acceptance and also supported projects in Europe, Africa and South America. Later she was designated Director - International Communications and formed the link between Monsanto headquarters and its country Public Affairs teams around the world. She returned to India in 2009 to join Bharti Enterprises as Head - Brand & Corporate Communications. Later, she joined Fortis Healthcare to lead Marketing & Corporate Communications for the hospital network.
She has now returned to Mumbai to lead OPPI (Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India) as Director General. This industry body represents the research-driven pharmaceutical companies in India and is focused on creating an environment conducive to innovation.
Specialties:
- Advocacy programs for outreach to diverse stakeholders
- Communications strategies that advance business objectives
- Experience across the globe that makes for the cultural sensitivity to be effective anywhere
- Training for effective communication, media preparedness, crisis containment
(L-R) Dr Shailesh Ayyangar, President, OPPI and Managing Director, India and Vice President, South Asia, Sanofi, Dr VK Subburaj, Secretary, Department of Pharmaceuticals and Ranjana Smetacek, Director General, OPPI
OPPI concludes 4th Healthcare Access Summit in Mumbai
http://www.financialexpress.com/article/pharma/market-pharma/organisation-of-pharmaceutical-producers-of-india-concludes-4th-healthcare-access-summit-in-mumbai/128135/Experience
Director General
OPPI (Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers of India
I
am Director General at OPPI (Organisation of Pharmaceutical Producers
of India), an industry body that represents the research-driven
pharmaceutical companies in India and is focused on creating an
environment conducive to innovation.
Director - Marketing & Corporate Communications
Fortis Healthcare
I
led Marketing and Corporate Communications for Fortis Healthcare for
two and a half years, covering advertising, public relations and
web-based communications. I helped address the marketing and
communications challenges that face a rapidly growing organization -
starting from a single hospital in Northern Indian in 2001 to a
pan-Asian, nearly 70 hospital network in a decade.
Head - Group Corporate Communications & Brand
Bharti Enterprises Limited
March 2009 – January 2010 (11 months)New Delhi Area, India
I
returned to India, after being selected in a global search by Bharti
Enterprises. I reported to Sunil Mittal and was accountable for
communications across all the group companies. I was ultimately
responsible for the Bharti reputation and for profiling the top
management. My focus was setting up world-class systems and processes
for communications in this organization. It was my responsibility to
take this function to the next level in a fast-growing organization,
making it more strategic and building a solid foundation worthy of being
benchmarked against the best.
Director - International Communications
2006 - 2009: Monsanto Company
March 2006 – March 2009 (3 years 1 month)Greater St. Louis Area
I
transferred to Monsanto Company's headquarters in St. Louis and a
position in the Global Biotech Acceptance team. Here I was responsible
for building direct communication and a credible third party messenger
program to communicate how crop biotechnology is delivering important
benefits, especially for small farmers, rural villages, and nations in
the developing world. In addition to numerous personal speaking
opportunities around the globe I ensured the presence of other credible
messengers at strategic global forums.
Director - International
Communications: following a reorganization of the Commercial Acceptance
function, I joined the Public Affairs team as the headquarters' person
responsible for international press and communicating key Monsanto
initiatives. Primary among these was Monsanto's Sustainable Yields
Initiative and the Water Efficient Maize for Africa project. In this
role, I worked with Public Affairs colleagues around the globe to ensure
they were aligned with the communications vision in St. Louis and
equipped with the materials and resources to implement it. I also saw it
is as my task to be the 'global filter' at company headquarters,
ensuring that management had a current picture of the PR realities in
various geographies and that expectations around communications
objectives were realistic.Director - Government & Public Affairs
Monsanto Holdings Limited
I
led the Commercial Acceptance function in South Asia, covering
Government Affairs, Public Affairs and Industry Affairs in India and
Pakistan. It was my responsibility to help shape perceptions around Ag
Biotech and Monsanto, make the South Asia team a cohesive entity with a
clear understanding of the issues and allegations we faced as well as
the ability to handle them effectively. I supported the Asia Pacific
Commercial Acceptance team, using my expertise and experience to add
value in key countries like Australia and China, where I was invited to
do several short-term assignments. My expertise lay in reacting speedily
to sensitive issues, pre-empting negative situations, neutralizing
damage through planned communications and proactively putting out
positive messages. During the last year in this job, I also supported
the Global Biotech Acceptance team in St. Louis and was its point person
in Asia, leading a five member Asia Pacific team.
The
deliverables were a positive environment for Biotech in the region and
an understanding of Monsanto among key publics: primarily Media,
Government, Scientific Community, Farmers, NGO's, Consumer Groups,
Financial Community, Shareholders and Employees (measured through
perception audits, general media tone, regulatory acceptance, and
success in gaining endorsement/buy in from leaders among important
publics; and gauged through the quality of communication tools).Senior Manager - Corporate Communications
Ranbaxy Laboratories
I
led the PR program and started and managed the company's website. I
published periodic updates for Government, Industry and Diplomatic
Missions around the world and handled statutory communication including
the Annual Report and notices from the Company Secretary. I managed
company events like the Annual General Meeting, Annual Day at various
locations, scientific symposia and dinners hosted by the CEO.
Internally, I managed timely communications in a rapidly growing
organization spread across 40 countries – both the exchange of news from
these countries and the writing and dissemination of communiqués from
headquarters. I put out a bi-monthly newsletter designed for a diverse
organization. Sadly, my final task at Ranbaxy was managing press around
Dr. Parvinder Singh’s untimely demise and the succession issues arising
from this.
Principal Consultant
Mudra Public Relations
I
lead a client servicing team with a portfolio of 8-10 clients. Retainer
accounts included Air India, Nestle, Samsung, Singapore Tourism
Promotion Board, Bausch & Lomb, The Oberoi Hotel, JK Tyres, Sita
World Travel, among others. Project clients were DCM Daewoo, Italian
Trade Commission, Southern Pacific Hotel Corporation, Hindustan Motors,
and Max Upjohn. During my last year with Mudra, I headed the Business
Development Cell, pitching for new business in a (by then) very
competitive environment.
Assistant Manager Public Relations
Hotel Holiday Inn
My
function combined Media Relations, Guest Relations and Employee
Relations. Besides interaction with the national and international
press, I was required to co-ordinate image advertising with the Ad
agency and produce printed collateral in co-ordination with the Graphics
team. I also handled the employee orientation program, edited the
in-house newsletter, created a monthly guest newsletter and wrote all
in-room messages. Routine activity included monthly PR reports to the
regional office in Hong Kong and analysis of PR strategy at competition
hotels.
Education
University of Kumaon, Nainital
Master of Arts (MA), English
University of Delhi, Lady Shriram College
BA (Honours), English
All Saints College
ISC, English
Michael Hauser, Ranjana Smetacek
Diane Herndon, Johnathan Yordy, Jill Kuehnert, Ranjana Smetacek
with srk - at the Airtel Delhi half marathon
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