Product Overview

This case discusses the dilemma faced by Harsh Mariwala, the business leader who relinquished the CEO position of Marico Limited, his family-owned fast-moving consumer goods company. Harsh had built the Marico business from scratch after a division in the senior generation of his business family. For over 30 years Marico had been an integral part of his identity and purpose of existence. Harsh is concerned about what to do after relinquishing his CEO position at Marico, which has so far defined his identity and purpose. At the same time, Harsh faces his family's pressure to ensure continued influence over Marico's business. Harsh is on a quest to carve for himself an identity that is distinct from Marico. He is facing the dilemma of how to detach from Marico and search for a larger meaning for his family business and himself. The is portrays a typical scenario of the letting-go challenge faced by family business leaders as they prepare to call it a day after a long spell of leading the business.

Learning Objectives

After reading and discussing the case, students should be able to appreciate the challenges and complexities inherent in managing a leadership transition within a multigenerational family business and develop a deeper understanding of the underlying dynamics in such scenarios. This case is suitable for courses on: (a) Strategy, (b) Family business management, (c) Corporate governance, (d) Transgenerational entrepreneurship, (e) Managing conflicts, and (f) Institution building