IRI and The NPD Group have announced that Malli Vangala has joined the company as chief strategy officer.
Vangala joins the company from Microsoft, where he led initiatives for the Microsoft 365 business, and succeeds Wei Lin Wong, who transitions to focus on his role as the president of retail.
“We are very pleased to welcome Malli as we work to bring the full power of our combined organization to bear for our clients and partners,” said Kirk Perry, president and CEO for IRI and NPD.
“Malli is an innovative and seasoned leader, with a demonstrated track record of incubating great ideas and launching and scaling businesses built on advanced technology solutions. His complementary skillset will be an important asset as we continue to strengthen our place in the market and expand the ways we can empower brands and retailers with insights that drive growth.”
Vangala will develop and advance key strategic initiatives to maximize client value, drive product innovation and identify new growth areas across many industries the combined company serves, including CPG, softlines, hardlines, beauty, technology, foodservice and food consumption.
“I am thrilled to be joining IRI and NPD,” Vangala said. “Together, we are focused on setting a new standard for innovative technology, rich insights and data-driven advisory services across more than 20 industries. I look forward to working with this outstanding team to optimize our leading data assets and strategic retail relationships to find new opportunities to support our clients as they navigate today’s evolving and dynamic consumer landscape.”
Vangala has global experience in corporate and business unit strategy, and deep expertise launching and scaling SaaS businesses. Prior to joining IRI and NPD, Vangala led the Microsoft 365 Strategy Team at Microsoft from 2016-19. He also spent more than three years as a leader in Microsoft’s cybersecurity and compliance product marketing team to identify, launch and scale multiple SaaS solutions.
Prior to Microsoft, Vangala served as VP of corporate strategy at SAP, where he led product and commercial go-to-market strategies. Earlier in his career, Vangala was a management consultant at McKinsey & Co., advising global clients on organizational, operational and strategic projects.
IRI and NPD completed their merger in August, creating a global technology, analytics and data provider. The merger brings together colleagues across the globe to offer more than 7,000 clients a comprehensive, accurate view of consumer behavior, total retail purchasing and consumption trends across a range of industries.
The companies have sector knowledge, data assets and strategic retail relationships in more than 20 industries, including CPG, softlines, hardlines, beauty, technology, foodservice and food consumption. A unified name and brand for the combined company will be announced at a later date.
