38 Years of Leadership: From Finance to Strategic Procurement | Hanuman Prasad Jalan

Industry Magnates Premier: Interview with Hanuman Prasad Jalan, Enterprise Leader – Finance, Sourcing, Marketing and Business Strategy with FaceTime with Leaders—A WDC Initiative. We are honored to premiere the "Industry Magnates" with our esteemed guest, Hanuman Prasad Jalan. Explore leadership philosophy, ideas, and best practices that have propelled them in their professional and personal lives. Brief about Hanuman Prasad Jalan: Hanuman Prasad Jalan brings over 38 years of leadership experience across finance, procurement, commercial operations, manufacturing, business transformation and corporate governance, including more than 34 years with the Aditya Birla Group across India, Indonesia and the Philippines. A Chartered Accountant (All India 26th Rank), Company Secretary (All India 5th Rank), CFA and B.Com. (Honours) graduate from St. Xavier’s College, University of Calcutta, he combines financial expertise with techno-commercial judgement and international business experience. As Joint President and Chief Procurement Officer at Grasim Chemicals, he leads procurement across eight manufacturing facilities, overseeing annual sourcing and capital expenditure portfolios exceeding ₹3,000 crore. His responsibilities include enterprise procurement strategy, strategic sourcing, supplier governance, global procurement, contracting, risk management and capital project evaluation. Through long-term supplier partnerships, reverse auctions, value engineering, lifecycle-cost analysis and innovative contracting models, he has delivered over ₹120 crore in procurement savings and ₹40 crore in project savings. His experience also spans P&L management, financial stewardship, working capital, taxation, audits, statutory compliance, treasury, ERP/SAP implementation and operational transformation across chemicals, cement, textiles, insulators, oleochemicals and financial services. Previously, Hanuman served as Unit Head of Pan Century Surfactants in the Philippines, with full P&L responsibility across operations, finance and commercial functions, achieving 2.5x business growth over four years. He secured US$16 million in unsecured working capital limits, managed loan restructuring during the 2008 financial crisis and strengthened operational resilience through strategic sourcing, inventory planning and supplier diversification. His earlier roles in India and Indonesia involved commercial management, plant operations, banking, marketing, capital allocation and regulatory compliance. As Assistant Vice President (Commercial) and Company Secretary at Birla NGK Insulators, he gained direct experience in board meetings, legal documentation and corporate governance. His leadership approach emphasises transparency, accountability, disciplined execution, stakeholder collaboration, ethical procurement, sustainability and long-term value creation. He has also contributed to technology evaluation, digital transformation, cost optimisation, sustainable packaging, fuel substitution and team development. With expertise spanning strategic leadership, financial stewardship, capital expenditure governance, supply-chain resilience, risk management, regulatory compliance and international operations, Hanuman brings a commercially grounded, integrated perspective to boardroom discussions, helping organisations translate strategic priorities into responsible decisions, operational resilience and sustainable enterprise value. Watch the exclusive interview where our esteemed guest shares views on: 00:00 Introduction 02:30 – What has kept Hanuman Prasad Jalan with the Aditya Birla Group for 34 years, and would he make the same career choice today? 06:00 – How has procurement evolved from a back-office function into a strategic business driver? 09:38 – What is the most undervalued skill in procurement that business schools rarely teach? 12:01 – How can long-term supplier contracts and techno-commercial evaluation improve supply security and deliver major project savings? 14:40 – How did combining finance and operational leadership help him navigate the 2008 financial crisis and secure US$16 million in financing? 16:25 – Rapid-Fire Round with Hanuman Prasad Jalan 19:24 – What should Indian boards do to strengthen supply-chain resilience amid global disruptions? 21:30 – Why did Hanuman Prasad Jalan choose to pursue independent directorship, and how can governance education prepare leaders for boardroom responsibilities? #HanumanPrasadJalan #FaceTimeWithLeaders #DirectorsInstitute #WorldCouncilOfDirectors #Leadership #Procurement #SupplyChainManagement #BusinessStrategy #CorporateGovernance #BusinessLeadership #FinanceLeadership #StrategicSourcing #SupplyChainResilience #IndependentDirector #leadershipinsights