ITV

Category: People

  • Saurabh Nath joins Swiggy as head of brand marketing

    Saurabh Nath joins Swiggy as head of brand marketing

    Mumbai: Saurabh Nath has joined food delivery platform Swiggy as the head of brand marketing, according to his LinkedIn profile.

    This new role entails Nath leading the brand marketing across Swiggy masterbrand and delivery business.

    Prior to joining Swiggy, Nath was with OZiva, a D2C startup in the nutrition and wellness space, as head of marketing. He led the marketing function and P&L with responsibilities across brand marketing, performance marketing, category management, and e-commerce.

    Armed with over a decade of experience in the field of marketing, Nath began the initial days of his career with Kimberly-Clark Lever as assistant manager-consumer and marketing insights. Later, he joined Kellogg Company where he headed the category of corn flakes, muesli, and granola during his seven-year stint at the FMCG company.

  • Interactive Avenues onboards Pranali Sarkar as Associate VP- Media Planning

    Interactive Avenues onboards Pranali Sarkar as Associate VP- Media Planning

    Mumbai: Interactive Avenues – A Reprise Network Company, the full-service digital agency of Mediabrands India, has onboarded Pranali Sarkar as associate vice president, media planning. Sarkar will be tasked to scale up and add greater value to the current capabilities under the agency’s media planning function.

    Talking about the appointment, Interactive Avenues – A Reprise Network Company CEO Amardeep Singh said, “As more brands are committing to the digital transformation journey, we strive to fuel meaningful business outcomes with precise targets and that’s where Pranali comes in. Her experience and portfolio are a perfect fit for our integrated business and complement our data-driven philosophy. We are excited to have her onboard and wish her all the success.”

    With over 15 years in the industry, integrated media planning and strategy is core to Sarkar’s area of expertise, according to the agency. She has seasoned expertise in FMCG, and Telecom categories, and her diverse portfolio features some of the top advertisers in the country including Unilever, Mondelez, ITC, Godrej, and Reliance, to name a few.

    About her new role, Sarkar said, “Interactive Avenues’ reputation precedes itself. The company is in a highly competitive industry and leading from the front in all-round media capabilities. All this backed by a dynamic leadership team that I am thrilled to be a part of. I am looking forward to using this opportunity to further elevate and enhance the existing media function by crafting new-age solutions for client and agency business outcomes alike.”

    Sarkar was last working with Fulcrum, heading the Unilever Personal care category where she spearheaded multiple campaigns for iconic brands like Dove, Closeup to name a few. She has also worked with Madison where she helped set up and lead their integrated media planning teams.

  • Honasa Consumer appoints Anuja Mishra as CMO

    Honasa Consumer appoints Anuja Mishra as CMO

    MUMBAI: Honasa Consumer Pvt. Ltd. (HCPL), parent company of Mamaearth, and The Derma Co., a fast-growing House of Brands for personal care, appointed Anuja Mishra as chief marketing officer. In her new capacity, Mishra will oversee the marketing strategy for Honasa Consumer group brands – Mamaearth, The Derma Co., and Bblunt.

    Mishra will be taking the baton from Sambit Dash, who has been elevated to head Brand Factory Team where he will be responsible for crafting, launching, and building new brands business for Honasa. She will be based out of the Honasa Consumer head office in Gurgaon.

    Mishra brings over 17 years of experience across marketing and sales, having led brand management, innovation strategy and sales across three blue-chip FMCG organisations and some of the popular brands. As the CMO of Honasa Consumer, she will be responsible for accelerating the brand’s awareness and growth across the D2C ecosystem.
    Speaking on her role, Anuja Mishra said, “I am absolutely thrilled and honored to join Honasa Consumer in its exciting journey of becoming a powerful house of brands. Honasa has proven to be a trailblazer across the D2C landscape, and I have tremendous respect for the organization’s ability to innovate disruptively and meaningfully. I look forward to joining this talented team and contributing to the growth mission.”

    Commenting on the onboarding, Honasa Consumer co-founder and CEO Varun Alagh said, “Honasa has emerged as the fastest growing D2C brand and being a digital first brand, it is critical to constantly innovate and stay ahead of others in this excessively dynamic digital ecosystem. Anuja comes with extensive experience in managing millennial brands and she joins us at a time when the group has attained a great milestone with her expertise, she will elevate and support the strategy to the next one. We are excited to have a seasoned professional like her on board and look forward to growing the organisation with her.”

  • Aditi Mishra takes over as Lodestar UM CEO

    Aditi Mishra takes over as Lodestar UM CEO

    Mumbai: Lodestar UM India on Tuesday announced the appointment of Aditi Mishra as the new CEO of the company. 

    Mishra has been associated with Lodestar UM for over two decades. She started as a management trainee and worn many a hat over the years, driving large client relationships in a business role to leading strategy and product as chief strategy officer of Lodestar UM for the last 10 years. “She is one of the finest strategic minds in the country with a deep understanding and experience of building brands and digital transformation. A valued voice in the IPG network and just the right leader to partner clients into the future,” said the company in a statement.

    Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias moves on after 27 years

    “As I think about what is next for us in the challenging environment of today, I am energised by the vision of building an agency resilient and agile to partner with clients and the community for the future,” said Aditi Mishra, on her new role. “A team that will not just ride the waves of digital transformation but fosters media as a growth driver for business. I recognise that I have big shoes to fill and with the support of the incredible teams across Mediabrands India, I look forward to stewarding this journey for Lodestar UM.”

    The company further announced promotion of Hema Malik to Mediabrands India chief investment officer. In this new role, she will lead the charge for Mediabrands India and foster greater collaboration to bring glory and success to clients and businesses. “Her calm demeanor, strong relationships, and innate ability to extract the best for clients and business through investment planning, partnerships, and negotiation, make her a natural choice for this super critical role at Mediabrands India,” the company said about Malik.

    Malik, too, began her journey with Lodestar UM and has been a strong pillar, leading the operations, clients, and people with aplomb as its COO in Delhi for the last six years. Both Mishra and Malik will continue to be based out of Delhi/Gurgaon, according to the statement.

    “We at Mediabrands India have always ensured that all our clients get full advantage of the opportunities in the marketplace,” said Hema Malik. “With the setting up of Mediabrands Investments, we are not only strengthening our obsession for performance and accountability but are equally energised to explore transformative partnerships and set new trading norms beyond the obvious. I am honored and excited to be the first CIO of Mediabrands India. So much to look forward to as we build the new.”

    “I am a firm believer of leadership from inside; success with and around people for winning together. Both Aditi and Hema have been with the organisation for over two decades and have done us proud in their multiple roles over the years,” commented Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha. “Nothing makes me prouder than to see our own people grow. I am thrilled and view these appointments as a giant leap forward. I am confident that both Aditi and Hema will embrace their new roles successfully and champion good growth.”

    Meanwhile, Lodestar UM’s long-term associate Nandini Dias recently announced her decision to move on from the company after being its CEO for close to a decade. She joined the group 27 years ago and has since gone on to acquire the top position, leading the organisation to several ‘Media Agency of the Year’ recognitions over the years.

  • Lintas C:EX Entertainment names Niranjana H as CD – brand solutions

    Lintas C:EX Entertainment names Niranjana H as CD – brand solutions

    Mumbai: Lintas C:EX Entertainment, the newly launched branded and original content division of MullenLowe Lintas Group has named Niranjana H as creative director – brand solutions.

    In this new role, Niranjana will be responsible for identifying and creating content opportunities for brands. The appointment is effective immediately, said the company.

    MullenLowe Lintas Group aims to strengthen its foothold in the original and branded content space through Lintas C:EX Entertainment. This new appointment is another step in the direction of furthering the divisions’ vision of telling impactful and entertaining stories.

    A broadcast media and entertainment professional, Niranjana comes with over nine years of production experience across films and television with expertise across the board in ideation, producing, writing, pre-and post-production. Her experience across different genres –both fiction and non-fiction – combined with a strong understanding of content development – both scripted and non-scripted – will help the division to curate a slate of original content Ips, according to the agency.

    In her previous professional journey, Niranjana has been a part of Discovery Communications, Zee Entertainment and most recently, Arré (U Digital Content). She has been responsible for story development, scripting, production and the final output for fiction programming during her aforementioned stints. At Zee Entertainment, Niranjana contributed to more than five primetime shows as well as weekend shows – “Qubool Hai,” “Neeli Chatri Wale,” and owned the programming, content curation and strategy for TLC, TLC HD World and Investigation Discovery at Discovery Communications. She also served as executive producer on Discovery and Discovery Plus originals apart from the curation.

  • Aalap Desai elevated to lead Taproot dentsu & isobar India as CCO

    Aalap Desai elevated to lead Taproot dentsu & isobar India as CCO

    Mumbai: dentsu India has appointed Aalap Desai to the role of chief creative officer (CCO), Taproot dentsu, a dentsuMB Company. The erstwhile isobar India national creative director (NCD), Desai has also been promoted to the role of CCO for the agency. In both roles, he will report to dentsu Creative India group chief creative officer (GCCO) Ajay Gahlaut, announced the agency on Tuesday.

    “In addition to leading isobar India’s creative team, Desai will now also be responsible for Taproot dentsu’s transformation into becoming a nex-gen, digital-first agency,” said the statement.

    Meanwhile, Titus Upputuru, earlier creative head, has now been elevated to the role of Taproot dentsu NCD, Gurgaon. He will lead the agency’s Gurgaon creative team and will report to Aalap Desai. Upputuru has also been entrusted with the additional charge of leading integrated solutions for dentsu Creative India. In this role, he will report to Ajay Gahlaut.

     “The decision is vital to the growth of dentsu Creative in India and aligned with the network’s global ambitions. Talents such as Aalap and Titus come with unmatched expertise & experience, and their contributions are bound to outweigh the expectations of our clients and the industry,” commented dentsuMB Group CEO Sidharth Rao. “Over the years, they have been groomed with the proficiency to build brands from scratch and are excellent at measuring & matching the market pulse with client needs. With this move, I look forward to dentsu Creative India reinforcing creative solutions in newer and undefined ways.”

    “It is fascinating to work with some of the country’s best creative brains. Aalap and Titus are creative geniuses who have delivered some fantastic campaigns over the years,” said Ajay Gahlaut. “Their brand-building approaches are contemporary and fresh. I feel that’s the need of the hour. All the conversations around us are evolving and it is inevitable for brands to evolve their conversations too. They are perfect for that task. Their expertise in brand thinking and storytelling will create robust digital-led creative solutions for clients. I am looking forward to working with both.”

    While working at India’s best mainline and digital agencies, Desai has developed a profile that is truly integrated. He has won over 150 International & National awards that include Cannes Lions, D&AD, Spikes and One Show. Previously, Desai was with dentsuMB India where he held the position of NCD.

    In addition to this, he also co-headed the creative team at dentsu Webchutney, Mumbai and was behind some of the most notable works like Code Name: Uri, The 8-bit Journo for Vice and The World’s Most Reported trailer for “Thappad.” Apart from this, Desai was also a part of the creative teams at Disney+ Hotstar, Leo Burnett, JWT, DDB Mudra, Ogilvy, and Publicis Ambience. He has helped build brands like McDonald’s, Complan, Huggies, Nerolac, Videocon d2h, and some youth-centric ones like Early Salary and MTV India.

    Speaking on his new role, Desai commented, “With the integrated approach we have now, I am excited to be a bigger part of that journey with my new role at isobar and Taproot dentsu. isobar has taught me the power of limitless possibilities, the power of future-gazing and thinking of things that don’t even exist. It is a scary privilege to not just be in step with the world but to create steps that the world will use to climb to the future.”

  • Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias moves on after 27 years

    Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias moves on after 27 years

    Mumbai: Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias has decided to move on from the agency, after being its CEO for close to a decade. She joined the group 27 years ago as a young media person and has since gone on to acquire the top positions.

    “I leave Lodestar UM in the hands of a strong, capable, and empowered team that has stayed vested and bonded with me for a long time,” Dias said. “In fact, almost all of the top 30 have been with me throughout my tenure as CEO – something that I am particularly proud of. So it was with a heavy heart that I had to break the news to them about my decision to move on. It is rare that one gets the opportunity to hand over the reins after an organisation’s best years, but this year was one of Lodestar UM’s finest.”

    “Over a dozen new businesses, over 20 international awards, Campaign’s Agency Of The Year – Silver, RECMA recognised it as the agency with highest Vitality and personally, my being recognised as the Media Agency CEO Leader Of The Year by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and feted by the Governor of Maharashtra. I couldn’t choose a greater milestone year in which to hand over the baton and go out on a high,” she further said.

    Over the years, Dias has been recognised with numerous honours by several bodies – starting with being the Media Planner of the Year in 1998 to going on to be the Media CEO of the Year on various platforms in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021. She’s also been recognised by platforms like The World Leadership Congress and made it to The Times of India’s coveted list of Times Power Women, among others. She has also been on the Economic Times Most Influential list for several years now, one of the first woman leaders to make it there.

    While not having taken a decision on the future yet, Dias said, “I started out with a fledgling agency and am handing over the Media Agency of the Year as I move on. So I am looking forward to taking a well-earned break for the first time in my life and am excited to see how things will unfurl.”

    In 2018, Dias piloted a pan-industry citizens’ initiative – WorkToLiveToWork – that pushed a radical solution to save commuter lives on their way to work, for which she was awarded the prestigious ‘Gamechanger Of The Year’ award. She’s won over 100 awards at Asia-Pacific Spikes, Festival Of Media Global and APAC, Creative Media Award, several Cannes Lions and many, many local awards. It is widely believed that her focus on innovative solutions transformed the culture of Lodestar UM into an award-winning one which led to the company being one of the most respected media groups in the industry today.

    “Nandini has been my partner ally, and friend for 27 years,” Mediabrands CEO India Shashi Sinha said. “She has led from the front to build Lodestar UM ground up to make it what it is today.  A dynamic, vibrant top three agency in the country. Passion is what defines Nandini, whether it is creating business solutions, building strong media properties for her clients or making a difference to our society and communities or just bringing her teams together to celebrate a festival or a win, Nandini did it all with remarkable fervour. At a personal level, I will miss her terribly. But I have always believed that a good leader is defined not by what has been built but by what is left behind. Nandini leaves her indelible mark on Lodestar UM in the solid and hugely capable leadership team that she has nurtured and I can say with all confidence that they will only continue to build on her legacy.”

  • Wow Skin Science appoints Harsh Parekh as GM – marketing

    Wow Skin Science appoints Harsh Parekh as GM – marketing

    Mumbai: FMCG personal care brand Wow Skin Science on Monday announced the appointment of Harsh Parekh as general manager – marketing. 

    With his vast repertoire in the field of marketing and advertising for over 14 years, Parekh has developed expertise in various branches– from conceptualising and ideating to executing creative and content marketing solutions for brands across India and in the MENA region. 

    In this leadership role, his KRA has been to develop and execute long-term strategic plans and objectives through the identification of issues and opportunities that could influence business growth and profitability. “He will be responsible for building and defining Wow Skin Science’s social media, content strategy, influencer marketing, along with overlooking celeb endorsements, brand partnerships, and associations,” the brand said in a statement.

    “With consumers riding the 5G wave, access to various marketing campaigns has become easier. Relevance, innovation and technology have become the drivers of marketing and the success rate of a campaign is often judged by how effectively it was marketed holistically,” stated Harsh Parekh. “At Wow Skin Science, I aim to build and amplify the brand and its equity in the market along with executing impactful campaigns.”

    Parekh has played a pivotal role in conceiving and executing numerous marketing and branding campaigns and built IPs for brands across FMCG, beauty, fashion, F&B, hospitality, automobile, education, e-comm, tech, and retail. Few of his IPs/AFPs and digital films have received accolades at prestigious award ceremonies such as – Indian Television Academy Awards, International Content Marketing Summit, Promax Awards. He has conceived and executed buzzworthy campaigns and content marketing solutions for notable brands such as Cultfit, Nykaa, Flipkart, FirstCry, Nexa Showrooms, Honda, TVS, Tresemmé, Lakme, Splash, Max Fashions, Lifebuoy, Knorr, and many more.

    “We are delighted to welcome Harsh to the Wow Skin Science family,” commented Wow Skin Science co-founder Manish Chowdhary. “With his business acumen and ingenuity, we look forward to his expertise and vision that will accentuate the status quo of Wow Skin Science through innovative strategies, various partnerships, collaborations and associations.”

  • Prabha Narasimhan to take over as Colgate-Palmolive CEO

    Prabha Narasimhan to take over as Colgate-Palmolive CEO

    Mumbai: Household and consumer products company Colgate-Palmolive India has announced the appointment of former HUL executive Prabha Narasimhan as its managing director and chief executive officer, effective from 1 September. Narasimhan takes over from Ram Raghavan, who is set to move to a global role.

    “The nomination and remuneration committee of the Board of Directors approved that effective 16th April, 2022, Ram Raghavan, managing director and CEO of the company has been promoted to president, enterprise oral care, for Colgate Palmolive Company. Raghavan will be based out of the company’s headquarters in New York,” the company said in a filing to the exchanges.

    Narasimhan is armed with over two decades of experience across consumer marketing insights, customer development and marketing roles in multiple geographies and across multiple categories including beauty, personal care, and refreshments.

    In her most recent role, she was associated with HUL as executive director – home care and Unilever South Asia as vice president – home care.

  • The Indus Valley onboards Khalid Kamal Rumi as CMO

    The Indus Valley onboards Khalid Kamal Rumi as CMO

    Mumbai: Homegrown D2C kitchenware startup The Indus Valley has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Khalid Kamal Rumi as chief marketing officer.

    Khalid has moved from Impex (KCM Appliances), where he held the P&L responsibility for India business as vice president of marketing & strategy of the company. Prior to Impex, he worked for V-Guard Industries – corporate strategy, Cognizant – management consulting, SAP Labs, and Accenture.

    Founded in 2016, The Indus Valley offers a range of ‘healthy and toxin-free’ kitchenware. The brand aspires to provide compelling alternatives to health-compromising kitchenware products, made of unsafe metals, adulterated alloys, and chemically-loaded harmful coatings.  

    “In a post-pandemic world, we couldn’t be more grateful for the support our patronising customers have shown us,” commented The Indus Valley CEO Jagadeesh Kumar. “But, with so much support, also comes great responsibility, towards fulfilling our mission to disrupt the fragmented, heavily commoditised, and innovation stagnated kitchenware industry, with our healthy cookware range. This is why, we’re very pleased to have Khalid onboard, as he leads the brand onward while staying focused and driven to deliver success at scale.”  

    Khalid is an alumnus of IIM Indore with over 12 years of professional experience spanning marketing, brand & category management, corporate strategy, and management consulting. His vast exposure to businesses, clients, and teams in the US, Australia, Germany, the UK, the Philippines, and India.

    “The brand has the health and well-being of its customers as its raison d’être. This resonates with my own personal values, and surely appeals to the millions in the country, who are aspiring to lead healthier and sustainable lifestyles,” said Khalid Kamal Rumi, on his decision to join the startup. “What I love most is that the brand takes inspiration from the wisdom of our ancient traditions in India and globally, while simultaneously embracing advancements in modern science & technology that protect, promote, and boost health. I am very glad and extremely honoured to have been presented this position and look forward to leading the team of brilliant minds at The Indus Valley.”

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