From a modest family background in Dehli, relying on hardwork, discipline and a growth mindet to work his way to North American CFO of Reckitt, an £18bn British multinational company producing health, hygiene and nutrition products, Ashish Gupta proves that if you have the support of family, and some natural acumen and curiosity, anything is possible.
It’s partly in his DNA. Both father and brother are in the accounting profession back in India and Ashish followed naturally in their footsteps. ‘I had early exposure to financial issues like budgeting and saving through my father’s experiences, but my interest in accounting was actually sparked by a deep fascination with how money moves, how businesses thrive and how financial insights shape success. That curiosity evolved into a career aspiration,’ he adds.
‘Real change reimagines how a business operates’
Fast forward 30 years and, in addition to being the finance chief for the $3.5bn US, Canada and Caribbean business while achieving best-in-class operating margins, Ashish has received the Reckitt CFO award for business transformation and is a popular guest speaker.
‘Every company is talking about transformation, but I think transformation is often confused with routine upgrades,’ he says. ‘Real change reimagines how a business operates. For example, replacing a payroll system solves a functional issue, but by connecting it to performance, compliance and reporting, that’s transformation.’
Cultural change
Ashish believes that when it’s done right, transformation doesn’t just make a company run better, it actually changes how it thinks, decides and scales. And true transformation isn’t just technical, it’s also cultural, he adds. ‘Take India, for example; it has such a heterogeneous population, you must take care of how you actually leverage its cultural nuances and the strengths to build effective teams.’
In fact, when it comes to affecting change across cultures, Ashish follows four principles: ‘First, it’s important to show people a purpose. People perform best when they know the mission and they see their role in it. Second, it’s about accountability and autonomy. I believe in empowering individuals to make their own decisions within a framework.
‘The third principle is transparent communication. When you are transparent, that’s when you build trust – especially when feedback flows both ways. The fourth is empathetic leadership, which is very nuanced and linked to the culture you’re working in. It’s about tailoring your approach.’
‘I’d like to travel to Alaska or Iceland, but the family prefers a warmer option’
Currently located in New Jersey in the US, Ashish comments on how the ACCA training has supported his career and his transformation initiatives across continents and cultures. ‘My work has taken me to jobs in seven countries and four continents to be exact,’ he says, ‘and it’s really the ACCA training that prepared me for that kind of international experience’.
The basics
Reckitt Benckiser is a FTSE-listed global manufacturing and distribution company with over $18.5bn in revenue across the world. Its North American business is is a very material contributor to the group. The company manufactures or distributes such commonly known brands as Lysol, Finish, Mucinex, Durex, AirBorne, Biofreeze, Strepsils and Veet.
He chose ACCA because it offered more than just technical accounting knowledge. ‘It emphasised strategic thinking and real-world problem solving, which resonated with my vision of not just being considered a number cruncher, but being a strategic contributor to business success. In that way, ACCA stood out as a globally recognised certification.’
Hot and cold
Away from the office, Ashish spends his leisure time travelling or playing tennis. Earlier in life his goal was to travel to 50 countries by the time he was 50, and he’s already passed that goal. After spending the majority of his career in cities like Singapore and Bangkok, it’s no wonder that for his next trip he’s hoping to visit a cooler climate.
‘When it comes to time off, it’s not always the hot holiday I’m looking for,’ he says. ‘I’m a person who likes cold weather, which is very different from my wife. So sometimes we just can’t agree where to go. I’d like to travel to Alaska or Iceland, but the family prefers a warmer option.’
CV
2025
CFO North America, Reckitt
2022
CFO North America, Hygiene, Reckitt
2021
Group finance director, business transformation, Reckitt
2018
Global supply finance director, Hygiene, Reckitt
2015
Finance director, developing markets and finance transformation, Reckitt
2009 and earlier
Finance director for South-East Asia; regional finance controller, East Asia; finance controller, South Africa, Reckitt
National commercial manager, PepsiCo
Business planning manager, Dulux
Deputy finance manager, Cargill
