Reckitt Benckiser chief hands reins to Kapoor

Kapoor will take over on 1 September. Becht will stay on as a part-time adviser until September 2012 to ensure a smooth transition.

Kapoor has been with RB for 25 years and has held a number of key global marketing roles.

RB's brands include Cillit Bang, Air Wick and Dettol.

Becht is retiring at the age of 54. In 2009, he became the highest paid chief executive in the FTSE 100 when he took home US$150 million, after he exercised long-held share options worth US$121 million.

But he was praised for donating US$180 million of shares to a charitable trust, which supports charities like Save the Children.

In 2010, Becht earned a total of US$30 million, made up of US$6.9 million in basic pay, along with performance-based payments, benefits and pension contributions.

Kapoor joined RB in 1987, when he worked at the company’s Indian operations.

His marketing roles with RB have included vice-president marketing India and regional South Asia for RB's earlier incarnation Reckitt & Colman and UK senior vice-president global category officer home care.

Becht has been chief executive at RB since it was created in 1999 through the merger of Benckiser with Reckitt & Colman.

The Dutchman joined the Benckiser side of the business in 1988, after a career at Procter & Gamble.

During his tenure, RB has been one of the top 10 UK advertisers, ploughing money behind cleaning and healthcare products like Vanish, Nurofen and Strepsils.

Key acquisitions include the purchase of Boots’ over-the-counter (OTC) business, Boots International, including Nurofen, in 2005.

In 2008, RB acquired Adams Respiratory Therapeutics for US$2.3 billion.

It bought SSL International, the maker of Durex, in 2010 for US$3.6 millon.

According to its latest financial results, RB reported revenues of US$13.8 billion in 2010, up 9 per cent on 2009. Pre-tax profits grew 13 per cent to US$3.5 billion.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk.