Yusuf Hamied's niece Samina Vaziralli joins Cipla Board

In what is being seen as an important attempt to ensure the Hamied family's continuity and commitment to Cipla, the Mumbai-based leading Indian pharma major announced the appointment of Samina Vaziralli as executive director on its board effective from July 10, 2015.

Samina Vaziralli is the daughter of M.K. Hamied, Vice Chairman of the Board of Cipla and niece of company Chairman Yusuf Hamied. She is part of the core leadership team and has been with the company since 2011.

"Samina has played a significant role in the company's ongoing transformation journey and has a strong understanding of both operating levers of the business today and key drivers for future growth and sustainability. She has been responsible for successfully incubating and shaping Cipla's Consumer Healthcare business as part of Cipla New Ventures. She has also recently taken on an expanded role leading global strategic alliances and enabling Cipla's people strategy and leadership development," the press release said.

Welcoming her appointment as a director, Adil Zainulbhai, Independent Director and Chairman, Nomination and Remuneration Committee, Cipla Limited said: "I am delighted to welcome Samina to the Board. She will reinforce the commitment and continuity of the Hamied family's involvement in Cipla.

On her appointment to the Board, Samina Vaziralli said in the release: "I am happy to be in position to contribute to steering Cipla as a member of the Board at this exciting moment. Cipla has made huge strides in the last couple of years in taking the business and the brand into new areas and I look forward to working with our leadership team on executing our strategy."

The release also pointed out that the board of directors approved the divestment of its consumer healthcare business to a wholly owned subsidiary that is proposed to be incorporated.