There is an ease about Anushree Bose that instantly puts you at comfort, a kind of grounded leadership that doesn’t seek the spotlight but naturally draws people in. As the Head of Marketing at Nando’s India, she brings a rare mix of intuition, discipline and human warmth to a brand that thrives on culture and connection. Her story isn’t shaped by shortcuts or grand gestures; it is built on resilience, self-belief and a deep appreciation for the people and experiences that have shaped her along the way.
“I would like to think I am warm and approachable, someone who smiles easily and makes people feel comfortable,” she has said, describing herself with a gentle simplicity. “For me respect, kindness and authenticity matter the most, both in myself and in people I connect with.”
Defining oneself, she has admitted, has never been straightforward. “Most of the time you put only one hat on your head, family or work. Very little thought goes into who you are as a person,” she has said. “As a marketing leader I might come out as someone who holds her ground, but as a person I am not sure I always know what I am going to say.”
Her mornings, she has confessed, hold a sacred ritual. “Even if my eyes are closed I have to get my coffee. I love stillness in the morning. I have just wanted to sit with my hot brewed coffee for 10 minutes without checking the world,” she said with a smile. “Those 15–20 minutes have set the tone for the day, non-negotiable.”
Balance, she has shared, has finally found her in ways she didn’t expect. “I think I have. I do not complain anymore,” she said. “Weekends are absolutely for my family. Monday to Friday I slog, but weekends are ours. We just love being couch potatoes and watching a nice movie. It makes us feel like a unit.”
Her family time, she has added with humour, often includes the unpredictability of a teenager. “My son is a preteen, almost a teenager, so watching a movie together feels like a blessing,” she laughed. “And if not that, then I meet my friends. They know who I actually am.”
Her marketing journey, she revealed, has been anything but linear. “It was not a very linear path for me,” she has said. “I studied microbiology. I was poised to get into biotechnology but it wasn’t connecting. I stumbled on an article by Piyush Pandey and I wanted to become a copywriter.”
Convincing her family was its own story. “In my family it’s been engineering or MBBS,” she said. “But I was the first girl in the family to deviate from the track and get into advertising and marketing, and it was very tricky.”
Her first break has remained unforgettable. “I got my first job at Reliance. That was the turning point. Copywriting went out of the window,” she said. “I never looked back.”
When asked what keeps her grounded on tough days, she has been candid. “I look at the bigger picture. Not to prove it to my boss but to myself,” she said. “Food and beverage has been the most fast-paced industry I have worked in. I have wanted to do it well so I won’t regret it later.”
Her comfort rituals, she shared, often revolve around laughter and familiarity. “My favourite movie has been Andaz Apna Apna, it cracks me up,” she said. “And Friends is my comfort watch. I can watch it anytime, from the middle, from anywhere. It puts me back in place.”
Motherhood, she has reflected, has shaped her leadership in unexpected ways. “Being a mother has been my first leadership experience,” she said. “When you have a kid and several house helps, you have to make sure everyone is working together. That has helped me in my marketing journey later.”
The women who shaped her, she has acknowledged, have been central to her identity. “One is definitely my mother,” she said softly. “She has been my pillar of support. She held her ground for me when I lost my father during graduation.”
The second has been a professional inspiration. “Leena Nair,” she said instantly. “I follow her everywhere. Her journey from small-town Kolhapur to CEO of Chanel has inspired me. I would love to become like her.”
Her own leadership, she explained, rests on fairness and inclusion. “Nando’s as a brand has been inclusive,” she has said. “In my team I don’t differentiate at all. I make sure whatever narrative my brand has, I pass it down the line.”
And then, with a quiet smile, she spoke about her greatest cheerleader. “I have known him for almost 18 years,” she said. “It is a love marriage. He has known me forever and he has always supported me. He gives me the right feedback. There is no barrier. Everything is transparent.”
Finally, asked how her closest friends describe her, she laughed softly. “They have known me for two decades. They think of me as someone who talks less, and when she talks, she makes sense,” she said. “And someone who will always be honest.”
In her calm conviction, her subtle humour and her unmistakable sincerity, Anushree Bose has reminded us of something rare, that great leadership is not loud, showy, or hurried. It is grounded. It is human. It is real.
