2024 Star Women in Grocery Award Winner Rupa Bahri (Q&A)
Rupa Bahri
Canadian Business Unit General Manager
Haleon Canada
What are some career highlights/greatest achievements?
My six years as general manager of our Canadian business has been an absolute career highlight for me. It has been such a wonderful learning experience and no two days have been the same. When I started in this role in 2018, the business was half the size. Since then, we have completed a joint venture with another large consumer healthcare company. I’ve led through the integration of the Canadian divisions of these two businesses and then through the separation of the combined business, resulting in an independent entity listed on the London and New York Stock Exchanges in 2022. What a journey! I feel lucky to have built a strong leadership team during this time that is resilient and performance-focused, and I am so proud of our business results and of the culture we have created at Haleon Canada.
What is your proudest moment?
As I reflect on my proudest moments, they tend to be when we have succeeded as a team and made a difference for others. We have this unique opportunity as a consumer health company to empower people to improve their everyday health. It makes me very proud to know that we continue to tackle barriers to health inclusivity and remain committed to empowering others through the work we do. And on a personal note, I beam with pride whenever my kids do anything big or small … from taking their first steps to making a soccer goal in a big game … too many moments to count!
How would you describe your leadership style?
I aspire to be a leader who is inspirational, authentic and results-oriented. I find it important to be agile and often adjust my style to the circumstance at hand. It’s important to know when to be the decision maker and when to support and empower others to make a decision. This agility as a leader is a skill I’ve focused on building over the years and continues to help me on my leadership journey.
What is your best quality, and how does it help you in your role?
I’ve been told that my “superpower” is connecting dots and luckily in my role that helps quite a bit. Over my career, I have spent time in both strategic and operational roles, and that combination allows me to guide my leadership team and organization in setting the right strategic goals while also knowing how to get things done to achieve them.
Tell us about some of the causes you’ve supported and why giving back is important to you.
Haleon Canada has a health inclusivity strategy that enables us to help our community in several different ways. However, when I think about the cause that is most important to me, it always has a link to education. For me, education is the real “unlock” to making meaningful change in our society. In 2022, we launched the Haleon Canada Health Inclusivity Scholarship Fund. This scholarship fund was developed in partnership with the Peel Children’s Aid Foundation to help reach underserved youth who want to continue their learning in the field of health. By creating the next generation of leaders in the health sector, we can impact the health system, self-care and the future, in a sustained way. It is a privilege to be in a position where we can give back and I take that role very seriously.
How do you spend your time outside of work?
My husband and I have two young boys, ages seven and two, who keep us on our toes! Between sports and music, our weekends are fun, busy and family-oriented. We also love to travel, preferably anywhere sunny and warm.
Anything else to add?
It’s such an honour to be included amongst this distinctive group of female leaders who are shaping and leading our industry. I hope we can inspire and encourage more females to consider careers in this area.
Click here for the full list of 2024 Star Women in Grocery award winners.