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Category: People

  • Megha Ajgaonkar named GM- sales at The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts

    Megha Ajgaonkar named GM- sales at The Leela Palaces, Hotels & Resorts

    Mumbai: The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts on Friday announced the appointment of Megha Ajgaonkar as general manager for sales division. In her new role, Ajgaonkar will spearhead and drive sales performance thus fortifying The Leela’s sales and distribution network and strategies.

    Ajgaonkar brings with her about two decades of diverse experience in hospitality and business development. Prior to joining The Leela, her most recent role was with Marriott International as area director of sales & distribution West India for Marriott South Asia. Over the course of her vast career, Ajgaonkar has worked with brands such as Taj, Starwood, and Marriott.

    She has been instrumental in the successful opening of multiple luxury brands across the country including the JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar and positioning the Ritz Carlton Pune. Her sales leadership aided luxury hotels including the W Goa, St Regis Mumbai, and JW Marriott Juhu in expanding their market share performance.

    A hotel management graduate and an alumnus of IHM, Aurangabad, Ajgaonkar began her journey through the Taj Management Training Program and is also a certified sales trainer. She is the recipient of multiple industry accolades for leading from the front and driving sales performance in her former roles. 

    Welcoming Ajgaonkar on board, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, chief operating officer, Anuraag Bhatnagar said, “With her extensive experience, understanding of key markets, and strong relationships, we are confident that Megha will further enhance and strengthen The Leela’s sales and distribution network and strategies.”

  • Cashfree appoints Ramkumar Venkatesan as SVP of engineering

    Cashfree appoints Ramkumar Venkatesan as SVP of engineering

    Mumbai: Digital payments and banking technology company Cashfree has appointed Ramkumar Venkatesan as SVP of engineering, to fuel the next phase of tech-stack innovation and product evolution.

    He will be responsible for scaling the engineering team to enable rapid innovation and customer delight, said the company in a statement.

    Venkatesan has more than 24 years of experience in ad-tech, big data, e-commerce, and database technology in the US and Indian markets. In his most recent role, he worked with Jivox as CTO and VP of engineering, where he led the growth of the engineering team and the acquisition of new customers through product innovation.

    Commenting on the appointment,  Cashfree, CEO and co-founder, Akash Sinha said, “Ramkumar has extensive experience in conceptualising and implementing quality in engineering and tech processes and teams, which is essential for a fast-growing firm like Cashfree. Over the course of his career, he has led engineering operations for tech-driven companies in many industries. Ramkumar’s expertise and domain knowledge will be invaluable as we develop our products and solutions to cater to a global customer base.”

    Venkatesan is passionate about scalability, sustainability and quality in technology and engineering teams and has a few patents in distributed systems.

    Talking about his new role, he said, “India and Cashfree are at the forefront of innovation in the digital economy and payments. I am thrilled about my foray into the world of fintech with Cashfree, led by talented and ambitious individuals. Cashfree is one of the top fintechs in the country that has been enabling seamless, digital transactions through a customer-centric and innovative approach. I am looking forward to enhancing Cashfree’s product offerings, market share, and technology across the globe.”

  • Sadashiv Nayak appointed as Future Retail CEO

    Sadashiv Nayak appointed as Future Retail CEO

    Mumbai: Future Group’s retail arm Future Retail Ltd has announced the appointment of Sadashiv Nayak as chief executive officer (CEO), with immediate effect.

    Nayak shall also act as key managerial personnel (CEO) for the purpose of compliance under applicable provisions of the Companies Act, 2013, the company said in a regulatory filing.

    Nayak has been associated with Future Group for over 17 years. He has worked at various designations during his association with the group and has been the CEO of Big Bazaar for the last eight years. During his role, Nayak has played a pivotal role in making Big Bazaar what it is today, the company further stated.

    Prior to Future Group, he has worked with Future Consumer Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, and Asian Paints Ltd. He commands over 27 years of experience in the retail industry.

    Nayak holds an engineering degree in electronics & communications from the National Institute of Technology, Karnataka. He also holds a post-graduate diploma in business management from XLRI, Jamshedpur.

  • Samiran Chatterjee joins JK Tech as VP, operations

    Samiran Chatterjee joins JK Tech as VP, operations

    Mumbai: TEOCO’s former global head of recruitment and resource management, Samiran Chatterjee, has joined the JK Tech team to head its operations. In his new role, Chatterjee will be responsible for sales operations, revenue, and resource management. 

    Chatterjee brings with him over 33 years of experience across industries, of which 20+ years are in the IT industry.

    Welcoming Chatterjee on board, JK Tech, president and CEO, Aloke Paskar said, “Samiran comes with vast industry knowledge and will definitely be an addition to the strong foundation that will accelerate the growth of JK Tech. With more than three decades of experience, he will be able to guide JK Tech along with the rest of the leaders, through this crucial transformational phase.”

    Chatterjee was previously associated with Microland, Capgemini, Mphasis, iGate among others in his earlier professional assignments. He helmed various roles across functions like learning & development, business operations & recruitment, and capacity planning & management.

    Talking about his new assingment, Chatterjee said, “I am truly delighted having joined this vibrant and enthusiastic team at JK Tech. Through my role, I look forward to the opportunity, be part of the team that steers JK Tech to its full potential and to achieve operational efficiency.”

  • Entropy onboards former Fox Star exec Nidhi Bubna as COO

    Entropy onboards former Fox Star exec Nidhi Bubna as COO

    Mumbai: Nidhi Bubna, who is known to have driven end to end film marketing, strategy and media for blockbuster Bollywood films at Fox Star Studios will be joining the entertainment digital marketing agency, Entropy as a chief operating officer (COO), effective September. Founded by Prabhat Choudhary, Entropy manages the digital accounts of the country’s major celebrities.

    Bubna comes with a diverse experience in the field of media and entertainment of over 10 years. She has worked on several blockbuster films at Fox Star Studios like “Sanju”, “Housefull 4”, “Mission Mangal”, “Chhapaak”, “Baaghi 2”, among others.

    Previously, Bubna was associated with Star India, as part of Hotstar and later worked on Star network channels.

  • Mamaearth appoints Zairus Master as chief business officer

    Mamaearth appoints Zairus Master as chief business officer

    Mumbai: FMCG brand Mamaearth has announced the appointment of Zairus Master as chief business officer, Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd. Master will be based out of the Gurgaon office and his appointment comes on the heels of other critical and strategic additions to the leadership team of Mamaearth, said the company.

    In his current capacity, Master will be leading the revenue functions and develop a strategic roadmap to further accelerate the brand’s growth and expansion.

    “As we continue to grow the Honasa Consumer portfolio, it is important to get the right people on board to give the right push to the brand before you take it forward,” said Honasa Consumer Pvt Ltd, co-founder and CEO, Varun Alagh. “Zairus brings with him a great mix of experience across traditional consumer giants like HUL & Airtel combined with running a digital product business which we believe is the right combination of experiences needed to grow a digitally-driven consumer business like ours.”

    With over 24 years of experience across FMCG and telecom, Master will utilise his expertise to identify and explore long-range strategies. An IIM Lucknow alumnus, he has worked with brands like Unilever, Nokia, Airtel, and Shine.

    Talking about his new assignment, Zairus stated, “Honasa Consumer is going from strength to strength with brands like Mamaearth and The Derma Co; one being a purpose-driven brand and the other providing science-backed solutions for skincare. The organisation has changed the way FMCG companies conduct business, and I am proud to be part of the leadership team.”

  • Optimise Media India elevates Shaan Raza as CEO

    Optimise Media India elevates Shaan Raza as CEO

    Mumbai: Optimise Media India, a performance marketing solutions provider has elevated deputy managing director Shaan Raza to the position of CEO of the company. Raza has taken over from managing director and founding CEO, LD Sharma, who will remain as managing director and will play a leadership role in taking performance marketing to the next level in India, said the company on Tuesday.

    In her new role, Raza will be overseeing the expansion of Optimise India operations, building new partnerships, enlarging product portfolio, onboarding of new clients, shoring up headcount, and therefore further cement the company’s position as a leading performance marketing solutions brand in India and beyond.

    “Shaan has been a phenomenal asset to Optimise India for almost a decade. A digital native, over the years, She has developed an intuitive knack and understanding of how the digital business landscape operates and has even been a pioneer of sorts in many respects,” said Optimise Media, India Managing Director, LD Sharma. “She has played a key role in bringing forth the concept of performance marketing as a niche component of digital marketing toolkit to Indian businesses grappling with digital transitions. Because of her vision and insights, she has become one of the most sought-after performance marketing professionals in the industry.”

    “I have been highly impressed by Shaan’s contribution and achievements in taking the idea of performance and affiliate marketing to new levels among Indian businesses and enterprises,” said Optimise Media Group, group chairman, Richard Syme. “This has been fairly evident from Optimise Media’s own remarkable progress in the Indian market. As an emerging digital economy that India is, besides the obvious opportunities, I would also appreciate the challenges and hurdles that Shaan and others may have faced while exploring new business opportunities there.”

    “In the short period that I have worked with her, Shaan has come across as a thorough professional who plans and thinks through every possible move and step with all probabilistic scenarios that she would need to accomplish a certain goal,” said Optimise Media, COO – India Operations, Nitin Sabharwal. “While she is a hands-on team player herself, she also has this innate talent for putting together highly motivated teams whose members swear by her leadership. At the same time, her power of networking is unmatched. I have no doubt that the new role would further galvanise her into working even harder and bring more revenue and growth to Optimise Media, India.”

  • Nipun Jain takes charge as RapiPay CEO

    Nipun Jain takes charge as RapiPay CEO

    Mumbai: Homegrown assisted payments fintech company RapiPay on Tuesday announced the appointment of Nipun Jain as chief executive officer.

    The leadership rejig at RapiPay is with an objective to gain a foothold in the neo-banking domain and thus expand the company’s business further. RapiPay is working on expanding its footprint in the rural areas and tier-II cities to foray into newer businesses such as digital lending, POS, digital cards, investments, insurance, and other financial services, said the company in a statement.

    “RapiPay intends to be one step ahead in the growing fintech space and is set to take the lead by getting into newer businesses to fulfill country’s ever-growing demand for banking, financial and payment services,” said RapiPay Fintech Pvt Ltd, promoter, SK Narvar. “Jain’s appointment as CEO is a crucial step on that path and I wish him continued success in his new role and look forward to greater achievements.”

    “I am also excited to see how RapiPay will continue to grow, evolve and be a one-stop destination providing a digital financial ecosystem to Indian consumers,” Narvar further said.

    Jain has a rich experience of three decades as retail banking professional with expertise in setting and scaling up businesses. He is proficient in managing large retail assets, business banking, and branch banking franchise. Prior to joining RapiPay, Jain has previously worked with Yes Bank and ICICI Bank.  

    RapiPay Fintech Pvt Ltd, MD, Yogendra Kashyap said, “Jain has an impressive track record in various banking services, and I am happy to welcome him as the CEO of the company. His proven leadership, deep expertise in banking, and passion for client-driven innovation will make him the ideal fit to lead RapiPay into its next chapter.”

    Speaking on his new role, Jain said, “I am extremely excited to lead the team at RapiPay, joining an organisation that is well-positioned to grow the financial inclusion to the last mile in the country by shaping the future of assisted payments and financial services through neo banking.”

  • Tilt onboards Gulshan Singh as chief strategy officer

    Tilt onboards Gulshan Singh as chief strategy officer

    Mumbai: Brand and communications consultancy Tilt Brand Solutions on Tuesday announced the appointment of Gulshan Singh as chief strategy officer, effective 23 August. Singh will work along with Paul Dueman, also a chief strategy officer, who was brought in a year back. Both Singh and Dueman will be reporting to Tilt Brand Solutions, founder chairman and managing director, Joseph George (Joe).

    “Gulshan’s competencies, experience, and interest are just right for what is needed to lead right-brained planning at Tilt,” said Joseph George. “With this appointment, Tilt Brand Solutions will be the first-ever brand and communications consultancy in the country that will have a two CSO structure – a tangible demonstration of our belief in full-brained thinking and the equal importance and criticality of both left and right-brained planning at Tilt. I am sure Paul and he will enjoy their tango.”

    Singh has almost 20 years of prior work experience across JWT, Publicis, Lowe Lintas, TNS, and IMRB and on clients like Britannia, General Motors, GSK, Mahindra & Mahindra, MakeMyTrip, Marico, Mondelez, Nestle, Nivea, P&G, Tanishq and Tata Tea. He has won Effies on almost all the clients he has worked on, especially so on Britannia, Tata Tea, and Tanishq. 

    Welcoming Singh to the team, Paul Dueman said, “Gulshan’s appointment reflects our belief and our conviction in how we want to drive the strategy function at Tilt. While this journey with him will now become a lot more interesting and a lot more enriching personally for me, our brands and clients of course are the ones who will benefit the most from this appointment.”

    On his new assignment, Singh said, “I have been following with admiration and interest, the way Tilt has gone about building itself the last three years, and I can’t be happier with this opportunity. The desire and insistence to get the strategy right at Tilt are palpable across functions and levels, and that is so motivating and spurring for me as a career planner. I am excitedly looking forward to partner and leverage Paul and his expert team of data analysts and solutions to jointly deliver superior brand and communication solutions.”

  • Saif Shaikh elevated as COO, Madison Media Pinnacle

    Saif Shaikh elevated as COO, Madison Media Pinnacle

    Mumbai: Homegrown media agency Madison Media on Tuesday announced that it has elevated Saif Shaikh to the position of chief operating officer (COO), Madison Media Pinnacle. The unit will house the agency’s first and leading account, Godrej Consumer Products for traditional and digital media, it said in a statement.

    Shaikh comes with an overall experience of over 19 years in strategy, planning implementation and buying, having joined Madison Media in 2017, he has led the AOR for Godrej across the company’s larger portfolios such as Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, Godrej Properties and other businesses like frozen foods and has managed media campaigns for almost 20 brands across portfolios such as hair colour, soaps, handwash, home insecticides, car and room freshener along with real estate.  

    Madison Media & OOH, partner & group CEO, Vikram Sakhuja said, “Over the past few years Saif has consistently delivered on the biggest challenges given to him thanks to his hands on, passionate, inclusive and never say die approach. We congratulate Saif on his promotion.”

    On his new role, Shaikh said, “I’m happy to lead Madison’s foremost client, Godrej. I look forward to leading the integrated account and further strengthening the brand and helping it achieve its outcomes.”