Hyderabad FC announces Neil Cabral as Advisor to its Board of Directors
The Indian Super League’s defending champions Hyderabad FC (Football Club), an Indian professional football club representing the city in the ISL, announces the appointment of Neil Cabral, former executive director and board member of Himalaya Wellness (Worldwide), erstwhile The Himalaya Drug Company, as an advisor to its board of directors.
The Hero Indian Super League (ISL) is the men’s professional top-tier football league in Indian football league system. The league is co-promoted by Reliance and Star India, and supported by the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
The league currently comprises 11 clubs. Hyderabad FC are the current Champions of the ISL, in less than three years since inception.
“I’m extremely pleased to welcome Neil Cabral as advisor to our Board,” said Varun Tripuraneni, Principal Owner of Hyderabad FC. “His deep knowledge and proven leadership of over thirty years in the industry coupled with his financial expertise will definitely enhance the diversity of thought, perspectives, and skillsets required to guide and oversee the next chapter of our growth. I look forward to working with him closely as we continue to execute our strategic objectives, drive profitability and enhance the brand value of Hyderabad FC. We are excited to have Cabral as part of our family and join as the Advisor to the Board of this dynamic and innovative Football Club at such an important time. To have someone with Neil’s standing join as an advisor to the board is a significant addition.”
Cabral brings with him an extensive rich-in-experience leading and driving profitable growth at global organizations, as well as strong expertise in brand-building, integrated marketing, business transformation, strategic planning, mergers & acquisitions, marketing supply chain management, and the building of global teams. A strong team player, Cabral is an influential figure in the financial services, healthcare, pharmaceutical, wellness, and single family-office industry and has vastly rich experience, having spent over thirty years in global senior leadership roles across Dubai, Singapore, London, Geneva, India and Hong Kong. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Directors. Cabral’s most recent senior executive role is as Managing Director and Head of Key Clients at Lighthouse Canton Capital (DIFC) Pte LTD, a Singapore headquartered asset management firm with growing presence in Dubai and India.
An incredibly accomplished executive with an extensive career spanning over 30 years, Cabral has held several senior leadership positions across multiple global financial hubs including managing director and global head at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB), executive director at Standard Chartered Bank, executive director at Credit Agricole (Suisse) SA Private Bank, senior vice president at Citibank, vice president at HSBC and director at ICICI Bank. Cabral’s wealth of experience, unwavering integrity and expert judgment will help Hyderabad FC tremendously to execute their strategy, drive profitability and enhance value for shareholders.
"Hyderabad FC is Founded, nurtured, and run like a tight ship by Varun Tripuraneni, who comes from the Founder’s family of Spartek, which revolutionized the ceramic tile industry and is a major brand in building materials in India with multiple products including the recent innovative concrete and precast construction products. Under the leadership of Varun, Hyderabad FC have re-established the city as champions on the football map.” Said Cabral.
“I am truly humbled to have been given the opportunity to be appointed as Advisor to the Board of Hyderabad FC, which has significant potential to continue its rapid growth. This is an exciting and pivotal time for Hyderabad FC, and we now have all the ingredients in place to drive our ambitious agenda forward. I have great respect for Varun and the manner in which he has infused adrenaline into the team. I am excited to share my industry experience and perspective with Hyderabad FC team as they continue to capitalize on this leading position in the league and mentor them to achieve their strategic objectives,” Cabral added.