GSK head of comms APAC Colin D'Silva heads to Cargill

Global trading conglomerate Cargill has appointed Colin D'Silva as its vice president, government relations, APAC. In his new role, D'Silva will lead engagements with government stakeholders across the region on issues of importance to Cargill’s businesses, customers and other stakeholders. Leading a team of government relations experts across Asia Pacific, D'Silva will report to Jock Scharfen, SVP and global head of government relations for Cargill.

D'Silva was previously head of communications and government affairs at pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), where he helmed the role for two years and three months. In a statement to Marketing, he said he had enjoyed his role at GSK, and looks forward to his new role at Cargill. "In my new role, I will have the opportunity to create strategic action plans on important government relations issues facing the company. This is a very strategic role with a strong external focus which will play to my strengths." he added.

Cargill deals with various industries such as agricultural, financial and industrial. With the purpose to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way, the trading company connects farmers with markets, and customers with ingredients in more than 125 countries. Speaking to Marketing, a spokesperson from Cargill said its vision for the role is to develop and advance a robust government relations strategy and lead a team of government relations experts in Asia Pacific that works hand-in-hand with Cargill’s business leaders.

D'Silva first joined GSK in 2018, according to his LinkedIn. In his role, his areas of responsibility include market execution of brand earned media, corporate communication, reputation management, issues management, government affairs, advocacy and internal engagement. He also developed and executed marketing and brand communication strategies across the region. Additionally, he also strengthened consumer healthcare corporate affairs/reputation across APAC countries.

Prior to joining GSK, D'Silva helmed the role of global director, scientific affairs and brand/marketing/corporate communications at beauty company Skin INC. He led various areas such as technology innovation, marketing communication, public relations, digital and social media communication, as will as sustainability efforts. He was also previously the associate director, beauty external relations/communications leader at Procter & Gamble (P&G) for nine years. D'Silva started his journey in P&G as a senior scientist in 1998, and was subsequently promoted to principal scientist, and eventually associate director in 2008, according to his LinkedIn.

Last year, GSK collaborated with Accenture to design a three-year programme to drive sales of its consumer healthcare business through digital commerce and omni-channel strategies. Named "Asia Pacific Digital Accelerator", the programme will see Accenture integrating digital experts within the team in different countries across Asia Pacific to enhance digital capabilities, build internal capacity and embed agile ways of working. According to a press statement, the hybrid setup of the Digital Accelerator will combine talent from Accenture and GSK to promote a digital-first culture, working closely with in-country experts to strengthen local digital ecosystems.

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