Nigyar Makhmudova - Danone joins the Advisory Board

We are delighted to welcome Nigyar Makhmudova, Chief Growth Officer at Danone as a new member of the Advisory Board. Nigyar is an advocate of advancing Diversity & Inclusion and a strong supporter of LEAD Network. She was our keynote speaker during the opening of our 10th Conference last month in Paris. 

"As Chief Growth Officer of Danone, I know exactly how crucial diversity and intellectual curiosity are for the business's sustained success. Homogenous teams may produce better results in the short term. However, the debate in diverse teams makes them far more successful in the long run." - says Nigyar.  

"People from diverse backgrounds and experiences are more likely to challenge the status quo, coming up with completely new ways of thinking and running the business, which is essential for resilience. As a female leader and a mother of two young women, I also know how important it is to support, nurture, mentor, sponsor, and elevate each other. And that is exactly why I am keen to be part of LEAD Network."

Nigyar leads the growth and marketing strategies of Danone’s consumer categories - Dairy, Waters and Plant Based - and its portfolio of Global brands, such as Evian, Volvic, Activia, Actimel, Danone, Alpro, Danonino, etc. She also leads the teams responsible for Media and Agency Relationships; Data, Advanced Analytics & Digital; Strategy & Insights; Global Sales and Customers; e-commerce; Perspective & New business models; as well as Sales and Marketing Capabilities.

Nigyar has proven track record in leading business transformations, driving turnarounds, building new businesses and markets. She managed business units, regions and global functions in a highly matrixed organization and excels in rallying teams toward company Purpose. Her distinct leadership style combines business transformation and exceptional delivery with a positive approach that inspires and empowers. She enjoys mentoring top talent and believes in the power of a positive culture. She is Danone Executive Committee co-sponsor of Inclusive Diversity.

Nigyar was born in Azerbaijan and spent most of her life living outside of her home country.  Foreigner for life, she lived and worked across seven countries and three continents. Very early on Nigyar learned to cherish the power of adaptability, richness of cultural diversity, importance of emotional empathy and intellectual curiosity.

Nigyar has MSc in Biochemistry, with Distinction from Moscow State University, Russia, and Diploma in Management from Nottingham Trent University, UK.  She is happily married and is mother to 2 daughters.

More about our Advisory Board here: https://www.lead-eu.net/advisory-board/