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Category: People

  • QuEST onboards Yumi Clevenger-Lee as global CMO

    QuEST onboards Yumi Clevenger-Lee as global CMO

    Mumbai: Product engineering and lifecycle services company QuEST Global on Thursday announced the appointment of Yumi Clevenger-Lee as global chief marketing officer (CMO). She will be based out of Connecticut, USA, and will report directly to QuEST Global, chairman & CEO, Ajit Prabhu.

    Yumi will be responsible for marketing strategy, brand positioning, advertising, and corporate communications to build the QuEST brand across geographic regions, industry verticals, and services, said the company in a statement.

    A marketing veteran, Yumi joins QuEST Global with 17 years of experience in consumer-packaged goods. Her vast marketing experience includes new product innovation, reinventing brands through purpose, developing engaging campaigns and creating new communication and business models. With her marketing expertise, she has built many well-known brands around the world including  S Pellegrino, Perrier, Cheerios, and Green Giant.

    Extending a warm welcome to Yumi on joining QuEST, Ajit Prabhu said, “She is known as a passionate brand builder who has been instrumental in developing strategies that have helped organisations accelerate growth. I believe under her able leadership and in-depth understanding of marketing; we will be able to further strengthen the QuEST brand and drive growth across our engineering services portfolio.”

    Yumi has robust global experience spanning her career. Before joining QuEST, she was the executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Nestle Waters North America, where she was responsible for a $4.5 billion portfolio of 16 brands. Previously, she served as the director of marketing for the Latin America region of Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW), head of innovation globally based in Switzerland for CPW, and led the Cheerios brand for General Mills Canada.

    Commenting on her appointment, Yumi said, “QuEST has an excellent track record of helping its clients reinvent their businesses through innovation. With a strong vision to build solutions that advance the way we live, work, travel, and engage with each other, I look forward to helping QuEST strengthen its global leadership to be both a force for growth and a force for good.” 

  • Kimberly-Clark appoints Radhika Tomar as CHRO

    Kimberly-Clark appoints Radhika Tomar as CHRO

    Mumbai: FMCG brand Kimberly-Clark on Thursday announced the appointment of Radhika Tomar as chief human resources officer (CHRO).

    In her new role, Tomar will lead Kimberly-Clark’s human resources strategy, focused on transformation, cultural development, talent management, D&I initiatives and continued growth. She will work closely with the leadership team and look after employee and stakeholder engagement, alongside talent development, underscoring the company’s aim to be the employer of choice in India.

    “With Tomar joining Kimberly-Clark, the company now proudly boasts of 45 per cent diversity, with four out of nine women in leadership positions, further strengthening its commitment towards D&I,” said the statement.

    With a career spanning across 15 years, Tomar joins Kimberly-Clark after having served at Dyson as global head of learning and development. Her diverse experience in human resources and talent development also includes stints with multinational giants like Microsoft, McKinsey, and Aon Hewitt.

    Welcoming Tomar on board, Kimberly-Clark India’s MD, Mainak Dhar said, “At K-C, we believe in providing an inclusive and safe work environment while hiring a diverse workforce, that is beneficial to the growth of our business. Leading by example, I am thrilled to have Radhika as a part of our India leadership team.  With her wealth of knowledge and collaborative, people-first leadership style, Radhika brings a fresh perspective to employee development, and I look forward to benefitting from her leadership as we shape the next phase of our growth.”

    Commenting on her new role, Tomar said, “As I begin my new journey at Kimberly-Clark, I look forward to collaborating across the organisation to help shape the culture, capabilities and organisation for the future and contribute to building an engaged, passionate and diverse workforce to fuel our ambitious vision.”

  • Lowe Lintas appoints Kedar Teny as CEO

    Lowe Lintas appoints Kedar Teny as CEO

    Mumbai: Lowe Lintas on Wednesday announced the appointment of Kedar Teny as its CEO, effective 1 September. Teny has moved from Avataar.me, a visual discovery platform, where he served as senior VP & country head.

    “Teny will spearhead transformation and widen its sphere of impact through Hyperbundled solutions to clients and brand owners. His proven track record in advertising and marketing as a business and brand leader makes him the ideal candidate to take on this mandate,” said the agency in a statement.

    Welcoming Teny on board, MullenLowe Lintas Group, group CCO & chairman, Amer Jaleel said, “As Lowe Lintas we are partners to marketing. And there’s no better way of serving that than getting leadership from marketing. It’s almost as if Kedar’s education and achievements with marketing were ordained and timed beautifully for Lowe Lintas’ transformation and make us best placed to be both hub and spokes to brand needs. His insider understanding of the requirements of brands alongside his belief and grooming on the strategic centrality of brand visioning to business success is quite unmatched in the industry today.”

    MullenLowe Lintas Group, group CEO, Virat Tandon added, “Over my interactions, I found that Kedar was totally made for this job as he has strategic clarity on the future of our industry. He brings with himself invaluable expertise in marketing and a passion for brands and creative product. Moreover, he is a great believer and practitioner of technology in marketing to drive growth. And of course, he is a great fit culturally and is fun to work with. So, he fits perfectly into our vision for the future of Lowe Lintas.”

    Spanning a little over two decades, Teny‘s career is a rich blend of advertising and marketing. He first joined Lintas in 1999 and built his decade-long career in advertising. While at Lintas, he led account management and strategic planning functions for key businesses in multiple geographies across India and SEA. Later, he held senior marketing and business leadership roles across blue-chip organisations such as Airtel, HUL, McDonald’s, and Sony Entertainment Television. He has also shaped early-stage startups such as Tilt Brand Solutions and Avataar.me.

    Looking forward to his new role, Teny said, “I am really excited as I return to Lowe Lintas after 14 years. Lowe Lintas is not an advertising agency, it is an institution that has built some of the most iconic brands. I look forward to working closely with the accomplished MullenLowe Lintas Group leadership team as well as partnering with some old friends and new collaborations to build brands for the future.”

  • Zirca appoints Tarun Abhichandani as head of products & solutions

    Zirca appoints Tarun Abhichandani as head of products & solutions

    Mumbai: Zirca Digital Solutions on Wednesday announced the appointment of Tarun Abhichandani as head of products & solutions.

    “Abhichandani will be responsible for bringing the company’s product-centric development and services at the forefront and work with the board to lead new business agenda in India and global markets,” said the statement.

    He is a specialist in media measurement products with a deep understanding of data analytics, consumer behaviour, product development as well as strategic planning and management.

    Before joining Zirca, Abhichandani was with Kantar/IMRB. He led the growth in the research/insights business in the domain of digital media and technology. In leading this growth, he delivered large-scale research projects for digital, media, and telecommunication companies. Previously, Abhichandani started his own business centered on identifying behavioural biases through gaming, getting recognition in multiple avenues for innovation.

    On the new appointment, Zirca’s CEO and director, Neena Dasgupta commented, “We are excited to have Tarun’s experience and leadership as the head of products and solutions. His expertise will drive our new and existing products, transforming businesses as part of our vision at Zirca.”

    On his new role, Abhichandani said, “Zirca offers 360-degree digital solutions and has a bouquet of products which are unique. I am confident to deliver the best to our clients with the support of our team.”

  • Publicis names Varun Shah EVP & head of Prodigious India, Content Factory India

    Publicis names Varun Shah EVP & head of Prodigious India, Content Factory India

    Mumbai: Publicis Groupe has consolidated the content production arm under Varun Shah and appointed him as executive vice president and head of Prodigious India and Content Factory India. Further strengthening the team, the organisation has elevated Akshay Multani to executive producer (EP), Prodigious and appointed Deepak Bulchandani as head of brand partnerships at Content Factory.

    Designed to serve a content-driven media landscape, Prodigious & Content Factory brings together specialist production expertise in video, digital and print to design, produce and deliver branded content across all channels, using the best talent, workflow processes, and tools. “This consolidation furthers the Groupe’s agenda to be future-ready and bring in the needed efficiencies and agility to the production process and capabilities while delivering quality content for brand partners,” said the statement.

    Speaking about the new appointments, Publicis Groupe, South Asia CEO, Anupriya Acharya said, “Varun has been instrumental in growing the Prodigious India capabilities and under his leadership we have witnessed phenomenal growth over the past few years. He is a new age production leader with strong appreciation of international and local creativity and demonstrated experience in quality, reliability and business acumen. I am confident that Varun will take Prodigious and Content factory to newer heights.”

    On his new assignment, Varun Shah said, “Currently we are one of the country’s leading production houses and our ambition is to bring cutting edge technology and expertise to the market, setting new benchmarks for the industry. The new structure provides a platform to create volume content solutions for our clients across all content types and will help fuel our growth in the platform world. This consolidation will help us streamline our efforts by creating a production model which drives efficiency while delivering world-class branded content across media to our partners.”

  • Digitas India onboards Shourya Chaudhuri as senior creative director

    Digitas India onboards Shourya Chaudhuri as senior creative director

    Mumbai: Digitas India, the global marketing and technology services brand from Publicis Groupe has brought onboard Shourya Ray Chaudhuri as senior creative director.

    Chaudhuri will be based out of Bangalore and will be responsible for strengthening and growing the creative capabilities across Bangalore and Mumbai regions. He will report to Digitas India, executive vice president and head of creative, Mark McDonald.

    He joins the agency from Tonic Worldwide where he was managing partner and creative head managing some of the key brands for over three and half years.

    Welcoming Chaudhuri on board, McDonald said, “We are thrilled to have Shourya on board as part of the creative leadership team. He brings with him not just a sharp mind and a great set of creative chops, but also an in-depth knowledge of the digital ecosystem beyond just formats and platforms. As a connected marketing agency with capabilities spanning experience, content and campaigns, the ability to play well with data, strategy, media and technology is crucial, and Shourya has the perfect creative mindset to do just that.”

    Chaudhuri has also worked for agencies such as Saatchi & Saatchi, Interactive Avenues and Wavemaker managing brands like ABInBev, Arvind, SpiceJet, Enamor, ITC, Titan, Infosys, Toyota, Mead Johnson, Oberoi Group, Murugappa Group among others.

    Talking about his new assignment, Chaudhuri said, “My primary reasons for joining an agency are people, pursuit, and energy. At Digitas India, I loved the people I interacted with, be it Mark McDonald, Unny Radhakrishnan or Sonia Khurana. From these interactions, the pursuit of the agency was clear – to help brands forge intense and genuine connections with people through digital platforms, primarily. That would also be my core responsibility – to craft genuine, memorable brand interactions. As for the energy I’ve seen here, it is positively contagious.”

  • Embassy Group appoints Debosmita Majumder as group head, marketing & comm

    Embassy Group appoints Debosmita Majumder as group head, marketing & comm

    Mumbai: Real estate development firm Embassy Group on Monday announced the appointment of Debosmita Majumder as group head – marketing & communications.

    Majumder is an accomplished communications and marketing specialist with over 16 years of experience working with some of the country’s biggest brands and agencies and has delivered award-winning campaigns.

    Prior to joining Embassy Group, she was Porsche India’s head of marketing and was responsible in leading strategic campaigns and marketing initiatives for the brand. She has also previously worked with PUMA India, driving business impact, and is the brain behind the empowering Propah Lady campaign, the Cannes Awards nominated Suede Gully campaign, and the #DoYou campaign, which broke the Guinness Record in 2016.

    “Debosmita, with her years of diverse and rich experience in front-ending successful communication and marketing initiatives for various brands, is a great asset for our team,” said Embassy Group, COO, Aditya Virwani. “We are pleased to welcome her on-board and look forward to working with her to further strengthen our marketing practice, building the brand’s strategic narrative and drive holistic communications for Embassy Group.”

    Majumder’s role with Embassy Group would focus on providing strategic and thought leadership direction for the brand and communications. She will also be responsible for driving and unifying the brand’s story and image, focusing on digital marketing, creative communications, and public relations across its corporate, commercial, residential, services, community outreach, interiors, co-living, education, and equestrian verticals.

    “With marketing and communications powering my career through the past decade and a half, I have had the opportunity to work with leading brands across sectors and drive their strategic narratives,” said Majumder about her new role. “I am excited to work with Embassy Group, a brand whose ethos aligns with my passion, creativity, and curiosity. I look forward to leading successful communications and unearthing powerful narratives for the brand that is known to be a leader in the real estate development space.”

  • WOW Skin Science onboards Sandeep Ghoshal as head of international business

    WOW Skin Science onboards Sandeep Ghoshal as head of international business

    Mumbai: Personal care brand WOW Skin Science has announced the appointment of Sandeep Ghoshal as head of international business.

    With his vast repertoire in the said field, Ghoshal will play a pivotal role in leading and expanding the international market for Body Cupid Pvt Ltd with a special focus on WOW Skin Science in APAC, Middle East, and in the African regions by setting up a strong team and building robust partnerships, said the company.

    With an extensive experience of 16 years in the FMCG industry, Ghoshal’s core competencies lie in international business development, trade marketing, and retailer management. Previously, as Godrej Consumer Products Ltd’s deputy general manager, he led their international business across various geographies of APAC, Europe, CIS, and North America. With his proficiency in communication skills and collaboration, he has lent his expertise and worked as a senior business manager (APAC) with BIC. He has also worked as a national trade marketing manager for Himalaya Herbals and escalated to become business manager for their Latin American & Caribbean markets. 

    Speaking on the new appointment, WOW Skin Science, co-founder, Manish Chowdhary said, “With this vast knowledge in understanding business development in the overseas market, he is a resourceful personnel who will drive the growth trajectory for WOW Skin Science and take it one step further to achieve our goals and objectives. We look forward to having Sandeep as an asset to the organisation who will make our vision of becoming a global Indian brand in its truest sense.”

    Elated about his new role, Ghoshal said, “When you think of truly iconic brands, they transcend their country of origin and are known the world over for their superior quality and their ability to deliver on customer promise every single time. We have the same vision for WOW Skin Science. We want WOW to be the first truly global Indian brand with their strong ‘nature inspired’ positioning & world-class packaging to reach every nook and corner beyond India.”

  • Lowe Lintas elevates Anaheeta Goenka as COO for Unilever, South Asia & CGO

    Lowe Lintas elevates Anaheeta Goenka as COO for Unilever, South Asia & CGO

    Mumbai: Lowe Lintas, the creative agency of MullenLowe Lintas Group, has announced Anaheeta Goenka’s elevation as its chief operating officer (COO) for Unilever, South Asia and chief growth officer (CGO), effective 1 September.

    Having spent three decades working at Lowe Lintas, Goenka has had a role to play in shaping quite a few large multinational, Indian as well as start-up brands and is a name to reckon with in the industry.

    Goenka began her career with Lintas as a management trainee after graduating from SP Jain Institute of Management Studies. Over these years, she rose to hold key positions and is now part of the senior leadership at Lowe Lintas. Her elevation consolidates the entire Unilever relationship for South Asia under her leadership. As COO for Unilever, South Asia, she will lead the teams for brands such as Glow & Lovely, Axe, Tresemme, Vim, Domex, Nature Protect, Knorr, Kissan, Pepsodent, Closeup, Surf Excel, Wheel, Sunlight (Sri Lanka) and Lifebuoy Shampoo (SEA). Additionally, she has played an integral role in bringing new business and growth to the agency’s Mumbai office. As Lowe Lintas’ CGO, she will focus on strategic business development in a new challenging business environment – across all agency offices in India.

    “Ana has been a strong management pillar handling several Unilever brands and other business relationships. She has left her mark on so many brands and earned massive respect and love from clients and colleagues alike,” MullenLowe Lintas Group, Group CEO, Virat Tandon said. “Ana has the strategic clarity to steer a brand to success as well as the enthusiasm and fierceness for new business development like no other. I am sure she is the best choice for us to lead the Unilever portfolio as well as the strategic business development efforts of the agency.”

    Goenka has handled brands across a broad spectrum ranging from beauty & personal care, foods, homecare, BFSI, large conglomerates, to many new-age start-ups and businesses. She has navigated the agency to deliver some of its most iconic pieces of work such as Kan Khajura Tesan, Kissanpur, and the latest #IAmIndianPolice initiative. These have brought the agency laurels across India and international award shows such as Cannes, WARC Awards, Jay Chiat, Effies, among others. She has spoken and been on global juries of the same too.

    Reacting to her eventful journey in the agency, Goenka said, “It is great to be part of a dynamic ecosystem that operates at a fundamental level with ‘intention’ & ‘attention’ for all its brand work and strategic practice. Here’s to growth emanating from more purposeful work for Lowe Lintas and a healthy dose of disruption along with it.”

  • upGrad appoints Ankit Khirwal as VP – marketing

    upGrad appoints Ankit Khirwal as VP – marketing

    Mumbai: Homegrown ed-tech company upGrad on Saturday announced that Ankit Khirwal has joined the upGrad management team as vice president – marketing.

    As part of his new role, Khirwal will lead the end-to-end marketing efforts across the organisation. He will manage all aspects of brand marketing and public relations, performance marketing, CRM marketing, creative and content marketing.

    Khirwal was earlier associated at Pepperfry as marketing head. As a part of its senior leadership team, he managed the entire marketing function. In addition to marketing, he has also led various verticals including category management, financial planning & strategy. Prior to Pepperfry, as an analyst at RBS International, he worked on key Debt Capital Market transactions for Indian corporates.  An IIM-Bangalore alumnus, he is a CA by qualification and a graduate of the Shri Ram College of Commerce.  

    Welcoming Khirwal on board, upGrad India, CEO, Arjun Mohan said, “We are thrilled to have Ankit onboard. His proven experience in deepening brand presence, expanding the consumer funnel, and scaling up revenue will be invaluable in helping upGrad maintain its rapid growth to meet the strong demand with the expansion of our footprint in international markets and new verticals.”

    Talking about his new role, Khirwal said, “I was the first person in my entire family to pursue studies beyond under-graduation. I understand and value the importance of education in life. It is an exciting time to be part of the global online education revolution and it will be a fulfilling experience to take upGrad’s philosophy of lifelong learning ahead.”