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Rohan Oza, 35
Senior Vice President of Marketing
Glaceau
Born into a wealthy Indian family, Rohan Oza grew up in Zambia, attended elite schools in England and vacationed in Bombay. It could be expected that such a background would have instilled in him a love of tennis or cricket. But last year, when it was time to arrange a Christmas party for his colleagues at Glaceau, which makes the highly popular Vitaminwater and Smartwater, Mr. Oza insisted on a night at the lanes.
"I used to be in a bowling league in college," he says, adding that his top score was 235. Now, Mr. Oza scores strikes for Glaceau.
Since he joined the Queens firm in 2002, annual revenues have soared by more than 800%, to $350 million last year--growth fueled primarily by Mr. Oza's celebrity partnership strategy.
He has amassed a group of 20 entertainers and athletes, including 50 Cent, Kelly Clarkson and David Wright, to endorse the electrolyte-infused bottled waters as well as invest in the company.
Glaceau has been so successful that beverage industry giants, including Mr. Oza's former employer, Coca-Cola, are trotting out copycat products. Mr. Oza was brand manager for the Atlanta company's Sprite division and for its sports drink Powerade, both of which grew significantly under his leadership.
"When Rohan was guiding Powerade, he took NFL star Michael Vick and translated the buzz around him into sales," says Reed Bergman, founder of sports marketing agency Playbook Inc. "Rohan has become iconic in the marketing industry."