Rohan Oza

If you’ve ever had a Vitaminwater, you’ve seen Rohan Oza’s work in action. He was the guy who figured out how to turn a flavored water brand into a cultural phenomenon, partly by getting 50 Cent involved as a spokesperson and equity partner. When Coca-Cola bought Glacéau, the parent company, for $4.1 billion in 2007, that was a pretty massive validation of Oza’s approach to brand building.

He was born in Zambia, is of Indian descent, and went to the University of Michigan. Before Vitaminwater he worked at some of the biggest consumer brands in the world, including stints at M&M Mars and Coca-Cola. But it was his work as CMO of Glacéau where he really made his name. The playbook was simple: make a health-oriented product feel cool, get the right celebrities attached to it, and watch it take off.

After the Glacéau exit, Oza co-founded CAVU Consumer Partners (now CAVU Venture Partners), an investment fund focused on better-for-you consumer brands. The portfolio includes some names you’d recognize. He’s got an eye for the kinds of brands that sit at the intersection of health, wellness, and culture.

On Shark Tank he’s a guest shark who really comes alive when a consumer product walks through the door. Branding is his thing and he can tell pretty quickly whether a product has that quality that makes people reach for it off the shelf. If your pitch involves beverage, food, or lifestyle branding, he’s the shark you want to be talking to.

Some highlights:

• CMO of Glacéau/Vitaminwater, which sold to Coca-Cola for $4.1 billion
• Brokered the 50 Cent/Vitaminwater partnership that helped define celebrity brand deals
• Co-founded CAVU Venture Partners, investing in better-for-you consumer brands
• One of the top branding minds in the consumer product space