In a corporate world obsessed with numbers, Nusair Teli stands out for something rarer, a pulse. By day, he runs billion-rupee businesses; by night, he dissects beef steaks navigating boardrooms and Karachi’s backstreets with equal curiosity and candor. As CEO of Pakistan Beverage Limited and Senior Partner at HKHM, he carries a legacy built by giants but insists on writing his own chapter…one of innovation, integrity, and love for his city.
Synergyzer: You entered a business with decades of legacy but chose to earn your place rather than inherit it. What is the hardest part of leading in the shadow of giants?
Nusair Teli: It is not so much that I lead from their shadows; I have had to carve my space within them. The hard part is that you may always be seen in that shadow. People will say, “Your father did it this way, your uncle that way, why are you doing it differently?” More than anything, it’s about reconciling that, yes, they did it a certain way, but under circumstances that no longer exist for you. You cannot do exactly what they did because the environment, your skill set, or even the people may be different. Even the same people can change mindsets. It’s not so much about the actions themselves, it is an internal process you have to reconcile.
Synergyzer: From launching Gatorade to leading major beverage operations in Pakistan, what early decision shaped your career trajectory?
Nusair Teli: I do not think it comes down to one decision, but the key was deciding to carve my own space, doing things I truly believe in rather than following expectations. That mindset has guided every choice and shaped my path over time.
Synergyzer: Beverage marketing and music have a long iconic history from Pepsi Battle of the Bands to jingle-led brand recall. Why do you think beverages and music fit so naturally together?
Nusair Teli: Well, it is partly because that’s how we have come to see it. You have Pepsi Battle of the Bands, then Coke Studio, and the big beverage platforms that followed. It started with Pepsi Battle of the Bands, and both remained very consistent. If you look abroad, there is always that association, but it was not natural. Music and a beverage you have with food don’t always match. We made music so ubiquitous that it appears everywhere in marketing, creating that link, less with music in general, more with certain songs.
A big example for Pepsi was “Dil Dil Pakistan, Pepsi Pepsi Pakistan” with Junaid Jamshed. Everything was owned by Pepsi as part of a strategy. It was not natural; we have marketed it, taken a passion point, and attached it to the brand, that’s essentially how marketing works.
Synergyzer: In this mix of rhythm and refreshment, is music shaping beverage marketing, or are drinks shaping the soundtracks we hear?
Nusair Teli: Actually, it’s the opposite. Beverage brands gave music a platform it had not had for a long time, but they were not just revolutionising music. Platforms like Coke Studio and Nescafé Basement are now bigger than the brands themselves. Even without the sponsors, the platforms would thrive. What brands did was fill a gap, bringing artists together and giving them a stage. For years, censorship and limited film releases kept music underground. These platforms brought it into the mainstream, and now it’s thriving on its own, no brand manager can tell Zulfiqar Jabbar Khan or Rohail Hyatt what to create.
Synergyzer: How has the modern audio identity of beverage brands evolved in the age of social media, and can a brand succeed without music?
Nusair Teli: Silence can render anything invisible, but it depends what kind of silence are you aiming for? I don’t think the jingle has disappeared; it’s evolved. TikTok soundbites and Instagram audios have given your jingle space for the audience to play with it. Jingles used to exist only in ads; now it’s in the hands of consumers. They can use the product, create a video, and pair it with that audio. It has been amplified, we’re not discarding the jingle or going silent; the sound has simply evolved. That’s my view.
Synergyzer: As someone vocal about mental health. What is the unglamorous truth about leadership that no one warns young CEOs about?
Nusair Teli: People will come to you with their needs but vanish when it is time to consider yours. That’s true for any leader. In tough situations, no matter how fair you are, most people find ways to take advantage, and the burden falls on you.
Leaders often carry the weight of business failures and underperformance, even when it is not their fault, and in a legacy business. You may lack the tools to act ruthlessly. The truth no one warns you about is the heavy, thankless burden of leadership, CEOs never talk about it, and it’s far from glamorous.
Synergyzer: If Karachi had a soundtrack, which song would perfectly capture its chaos and charm?
Nusair Teli: It’s charm right now, especially in the way authorities have forgotten it, Mujh Se Pehli Si Muhabbat. Maybe it is just because I have been listening to it so much. But also, Mujhe Tum Nazar Se Gira To Rahay Ho. Why? Because that’s kind of what I feel Karachi is trying to say to its people. They want the same from the city while not treating it the same. That’s just not fair. And it’s chaos, really… I don’t know. There are so many songs that fit the city, like Tumhein Dillagi Bhool Jani Paray Gi.
Synergyzer: If Pepsi gave you five minutes to create a flavour inspired by your personality. What would you name it, and what warning label would it carry?
Nusair Teli: Honestly, I would not need a new flavour, there is already one that fits me: Cherry Pepsi. I would just add more caffeine. So, it would be a Cherry Pepsi Zero, with a warning label: “Too much caffeine.”
