Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems Welcomes New CEO

Founded by holistic nutrition and integrative lifestyle medicine expert Luke Coutinho, Luke Coutinho Holistic Healing Systems (LCHHS) has welcomed a new CEO onboard. Gautam Kapadi, who has been associated with the holistic wellness organisation as its Group CFO, has now assumed this new exciting role.

Looking back at his journey at LCHHS, he said, “I first met Luke in 2017 and in our initial meeting, he shared his vision with me. Anyone who has interacted with Luke can attest that one meeting is all it takes to be convinced. By then, Luke had also built a talented team of nutritionists and doctors who successfully delivered programs with outstanding outcomes. The business was ready to expand. Our goal was to grow in a disciplined manner. We established the company LCHHS in 2017, where I initially served as the part-time CFO and handled all financial and strategic aspects of the business."

In April 2022, Kapadi joined LCHHS as the Group CFO. Apart from partnering in the growth of the LCHHS business, one of his career highlights at LCHHS was the launch of their one-of-its-

kind ethical wellness platform You Care Lifestyle (www.youcarelifetyle.com) amidst the pandemic and their foray into the education sector by offering courses on nutrition, affiliated with recognised universities through Lifeness Science Institute.

"All the three sectors we are operating in, namely - healthcare, e-commerce, and education, are poised to grow in the coming years. And I am excited to be part of this journey," he said.

A Chartered and Cost Accountant, Kapadi has had over 25 years of enriching experience working with reputed companies such as Marico, Kaya, Raymond, Amway, and Piramals.

Delving into how this shaped his career, he said, “I consider myself very fortunate that very early in my career, I had the opportunity of working and learning from very humble and inspirational leaders such as Harsh Mariwala and Ajay Piramal. Further, I worked with some of the finest CEOs, CFOs, and functional heads during my career with large companies, and I carry many fond memories and learnings from them."

His diverse experience includes serving as the CFO for companies in various stages of maturity, including start-ups, SMEs, family-managed businesses, large Indian corporations, MNCs, and private equity-managed businesses across industries like FMCG, retail, services, manufacturing, fashion, packaging, and travel.

"In my previous role as a Partner at CFO Bridge, I had the privilege of working with over 30 SMEs to provide CFO services and strengthen their financial governance. I also created and developed a Finance training module for business owners, which has benefited over 100 entrepreneurs helping them build financially successful businesses," he further said.

As the newly appointed CEO of LCHHS, Kapadi gives a glimpse into his focus areas for the future. “Luke has been a pioneer in the field of integrative and lifestyle medicine in India. He is one of the finest role models for creating innovative and successful products in the healthcare space and has created a unique business model by leveraging social media through his content. Further, the programs he has created have assisted many patients to change their lifestyles and lead healthier and happier lives. LCHHS is a one-of-a-kind unique business model where all our nutritionists and staff members work from home." 

"We refer to the initial version of our growth as V1. The next version of our growth which we call V2 will require a different approach and levers to grow the business. My immediate role as the CEO would be to identify these levers and put LCHHS on a sustainable growth trajectory while nurturing all the essential elements that have helped us grow so far,” he said.

Kapadi sheds light on some of the initiatives he will be helming. "I believe that technology has the potential to significantly accelerate the company's growth. I am especially interested in creating solutions to improve the customer experience, productivity, and processes, and making all of our services and products more accessible. We are further evaluating a few more business verticals to complement our ecosystem. The goal is to make LCHHS the most preferred and leading provider of integrated, holistic health solutions that empower individuals to take control of their health and well-being."

The vision for LCHHS he reveals is:

● To build a healthier and happier planet.

● To reduce and prevent disease, pain, and suffering caused due to malnutrition and improper food habits in our communities and everyday lives.

● To leverage the gifts of nature and make holistic lifestyle changes to improve our well-being and our planet.

● To identify and list every fair-trade product that meets quality standards while influencing health, immunity, wellness, and lifestyle across the planet.

Expressing his delight about Kapadi's new role, Luke Coutinho, Founder - LCHHS, said, "I have worked with Gautam over the years. It's been a pleasure having his expertise and mentorship in helping me and our company grow. And we look forward to a beautiful partnership in the near future."

Sharing his perspective on how the elevation of CFOs to CEOs can benefit organisations, Kapadi said, "I believe that the most important skill a CFO develops over some time is the ability to dispassionately and objectively evaluate the business strategy, processes, and people through the lens of numbers and provide valuable insights and strategic direction to the business. I believe that a CFO's strong financial acumen, strategic mindset, and leadership experience can assist him in driving the company's vision and goals as the CEO.”