Thursday, April 13, 2006

Reebok's Marketing Whiz - Muktesh Pant - quits to start yoga biz


Micky Pant recently left Reebok to set up a business in the field of yoga instruction and accessories. Prior to that, Micky was the Chief Marketing Officer of the Reebok brand, the flagship division of Reebok International Ltd. Promoted to this position in November 2001, Pant oversaw the marketing of the Reebok brand globally. In the past year, he has overseen several successful marketing campaigns, including "Terry Tate, office linebacker", and the creation of "Rbk", a new urban collection of footwear.

Pant joined Reebok in 1994 as Managing Director for Reebok India. In 1996, he was named Regional Director for new markets, and in 1999 was promoted to Vice President of Global Marketing, a position based at Reebok’s corporate headquarters. He relocated to the United States and was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American College of Sports Medicine.

Prior to joining Reebok, Pant served in various marketing positions for PepsiCo and Unilever.
Pant earned his master’s degree in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, where he also was the recipient of a national scholarship.
"Athletic shoe and clothing maker Reebok International Ltd. said on Monday that its chief marketing officer Muktesh 'Micky' Pant had resigned in order to start a yoga-related business in India and the United States .

The company said Pant had decided 'to pursue his life-long dream of establishing a business that connects him to his roots in India , a country where wellness of the mind, body and spirit is held in high regard and serves as the very essence of the Indian culture.'

Pant told Reuters that he would return to India to start his new venture, which would be built around yoga. 'Because of the growth of e-mail and voicemail and instant communications, there's a lot of growth in stress,' Pant said, 'Deadlines have shortened. People are moving faster in a direction that they don't pause to think about.'

Professionalism in Yoga is not gona take long.