>PearBOT II at 14:24, 13 April 2021

2021-04-13T14:24:42Z

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{{short description|British-Indian businessman (born 1956)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bali Padda
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1956}}<ref name="Trangbæk" />
| birth_place = [[Punjab, India]]
| death_date = 
| death_place =
| nationality = British
| other_names =
| occupation = [[The Timberland Company]] (2001-2002)<br>[[The Lego Group]] (2002—2017)
| years_active =
| known_for =
| notable_works =
}}
'''Bali Padda''' is a British-Indian businessman who briefly served as the CEO of [[The Lego Group]].<ref>{{cite web|last1=Monaghan|first1=Angela|title=Lego replaces British chief after just eight months at helm|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/aug/10/lego-bali-padda-british-niels-christiansen|website=The Guardian|access-date=5 September 2017|date=10 August 2017}}</ref> Prior to this role, he was Lego's chief operations officer. He inherited the role of CEO from [[Jørgen Vig Knudstorp]], who stepped down to lead the LEGO Brand Group in January 2017.<ref name="Trangbæk">{{cite web|last1=Trangbæk|first1=Roar Rude|title=Bali Padda Appointed New CEO of the LEGO Group|url=https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news-room/2016/december/bali-padda-new-ceo/|website=Lego.com|publisher=LEGO Group|access-date=8 December 2016|date=6 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Pedersen|first1=Signe Ferslev|title=Knudstorp stopping as CEO of LEGO|url=http://www.business.dk/detailhandel/knudstorp-stopper-som-direktoer-i-lego|website=Business.dk|publisher=Berlingske Media|access-date=6 December 2016|language=da|date=6 December 2016}}</ref> He was the first non-Danish top-level executive to run the 84-year-old company.<ref name="DR.dk" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Børjesen|first1=Jesper Rise|title=Bali Padda First Non-Dane to Be Head of LEGO|url=http://ekstrabladet.dk/nyheder/erhvervsnyheder/bali-padda-er-foerste-ikke-dansker-i-spidsen-for-lego/6440735|website=ekstrabladet.dk|publisher=JP/Politikens Hus A/S|access-date=8 December 2016|language=da|date=6 December 2016}}</ref>

Born in Punjab, Padda's parents migrated to the UK from Mumbai in search of a better life when he was just 12. He dropped out of school and took up odd jobs at the age of 16.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://desibuzzbc.com/2017/04/01/punjabi-brit-bali-padda-appointed-legos-new-ceo/|title=Punjabi-Brit Bali Padda Appointed Lego’s New CEO|publisher=Desibuzz|date=1 April 2017|access-date=10 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811010055/http://desibuzzbc.com/2017/04/01/punjabi-brit-bali-padda-appointed-legos-new-ceo/|archive-date=11 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He joined the LEGO Group in 2002 as Head of Market Oriented Packing based in [[Enfield, Connecticut|Enfield]], USA.<ref name="DR.dk">{{cite web|last1=Sommer|first1=Mathias|title=Portrait LEGO's New Man: Bali Padda Have to Fight Alibaba For the Asian Market|url=http://www.dr.dk/nyheder/penge/portraet-legos-nye-mand-bali-padda-skal-slaas-med-alibaba-om-asien|website=dr.dk|publisher=Danmarks Radio|access-date=8 December 2016|language=da|date=6 December 2016}}</ref> Bali Padda came from a Customer Service & Supplier Relations background with [[GlaxoWellcome]] and [[The Timberland Company|Timberland]] before joining the LEGO Group.<ref name="DR.dk" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Klausen|first1=Gitte|title=Bali Padda|url=https://www.lego.com/da-dk/aboutus/lego-group/management/management-board/bali|website=lego.com|publisher=LEGO Group|access-date=8 December 2016}}</ref>

Eight months after becoming CEO of LEGO, it was announced in August 2017, that Padda would be replaced by [[Niels Christiansen]], effective from October 2017. The replacement was due to Padda's age.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Nygaard|first1=Laura Rode|title=LEGO's CEO Done After Only Eight Months - Dane to become new CEO|url=https://www.bt.dk/erhverv/legos-topdirektoer-faerdig-efter-kun-otte-maaneder-dansker-bliver-ny-chef|website=BT|publisher=Berlingske Media A/S|access-date=16 January 2018|language=da|date=10 August 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Lego}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Padda, Bali}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British chief executives]]
[[Category:Indian chief executives]]
[[Category:Lego people]]
[[Category:1956 births]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:British people of Punjabi descent]]

{{UK-business-bio-stub}}
{{India-business-bio-stub}}
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Bali Padda - Revision history

>PearBOT II at 14:24, 13 April 2021