Harish Manwani either has a dream job or a nightmare position. You decide. (I sound like the tagline of an unnamed broadcast competitor!). He oversees Unilever's

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[UL  Loading...      ()   ] operations in Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe. He's the guy responsible for selling Lipton tea, Dove soap and Knorr food seasonings to the world's emerging middle class.

It can't be easy managing this large a geographical footprint, encompassing three-quarters of the world's population, not to mention the language, cultural, culinary and regulatory differences. But he does -- with enthusiasm.

You can see it in his eyes, in the way he talks. Throughout my conversation with Manwani, I could sense his passion for dealing with this diversity. He clearly enjoys the responsibility of driving Unilever's growth in an area that by 2010 will likely make up half of the company's global revenues.

He's spent most of his career climbing up the corporate ladder in the emerging markets so you know, he knows what it really takes for MNCs to be successful on the ground there.

What does it take to grow a global brand in a local market?
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