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Category: People

  • Word of Mouth Media elevates Jimmy Shahani to CEO

    Word of Mouth Media elevates Jimmy Shahani to CEO

    Mumbai: Word of Mouth Media, a player in the audiovisual and digital content category, has elevated its chief operating officer Jimmy Shahani to the position of chief executive officer.

    Shahani comes with over 15 years of experience in operations, human resources, and business administration. He has diverse experience across industries, including Media, IT, and ITES, having worked with companies like WNS, IBM, Prime Focus, and Tech Mahindra, to name a few.

    “Jimmy has been part of our core team since he joined us four years back,” said Word of Mouth Media, founder, Vineet Panchhi. “His positive outlook, creative mindset, and leadership values are all goal-worthy to succeed, especially as we move ahead in the ‘Next Normal.’ In the current period of accelerated transformation, we hope to provide a robust approach and work more closely with our clients to navigate pandemic-induced uncertainty. I congratulate Jimmy in his new role and will continue to support him in strengthening new partnerships and exploring new geographies.”

    “The Covid-19 pandemic galvanised businesses to innovate and shift focus towards customers’ preferences leading massive transformation in the advertising & marketing industry,” Panchhi added.

    “We are one of the few boutique agencies that have successfully survived the challenges posed by the pandemic by innovating our products and making them hybrid and focusing on digital services,” said Word of Mouth Media, co-founder, Sarika Panchhi. “The customized hybrid model has worked beautifully for us, and we continue to keep our workforce safety a top priority. The new format will help us serve our clients better, explore new markets and strengthen our focus on the revived sustainability portfolio. I am confident that the team under the guidance of Jimmy’s capabilities will scale new heights.”

    Speaking on his new role, Shahani said, “I am honored to take the new responsibilities and look forward to scaling the business to new heights. The changing consumer behavior, shifting viewer choices, increased inclination towards environmentally-conscious practices etc, demand brands to deliver more creative and personalized experiences in a sensitized tone. Therefore, one of the major priorities for me will be to deliver business outcomes for clients through impactful ideas and new storytelling channels.”

  • SaffronStays onboards Manvi Sharma as chief marketing officer

    SaffronStays onboards Manvi Sharma as chief marketing officer

    Mumbai: SaffronStays, a player in the serviced private vacation homes segment, has named Manvi Sharma as its chief marketing officer. Sharma moves from the ticketing service platform BookMyShow where she led the content & strategy team for close to six years.

    SaffronStays founder Devendra Parulekar said the company is heading towards a digital-first approach across the organisation – be it lead generation, customer retention, marketing efforts and move towards a data-driven ecosystem. 

    “Manvi’s prior expertise with BookMyShow, which was a digital-first company, comes in handy even as the fundamental marketing principles remain the same. We will also be relooking at our loyalty and referral programs and align them with our current strategy,” he added.

    “The future of most industries, including hospitality, is digital,” SaffronStays founder Tejas Parulekar said. “And we have taken this aim head-on in order to create a smooth, seamless end-to-end experience for all our stakeholders. Manvi’s proficiency in B2B and B2C communications will help further this dream by building on the company’s brand experience, expand its reach and work towards an overall growth for all sectors.”

    Sharma comes with more than 14 years of experience in marketing, advertising, and brand management, and has worked for various sectors including entertainment, hospitality, banking and finance, F&B, and gaming among others.

    Speaking about her new stint, Sharma shared, “In light of the pandemic, the SaffronStays community has become more relevant than ever, and it is a privilege to be working with a company currently at the forefront of tourism. Marketing communication combined with innovative storytelling will be central to expanding SaffronStays’ reach and driving growth in a constantly changing forum. My goal is to take the company’s branding to newer heights, providing an all-inclusive experience for our patrons and partners.”

  • Dukaan brings on board Swiggy’s Sandeep Mina as COO

    Dukaan brings on board Swiggy’s Sandeep Mina as COO

    Mumbai: Dukaan, a SaaS platform that helps local entrepreneurs to open a digital storefront, announced that Sandeep Mina has joined the company as the chief operating officer with effect from 1 July. Previously Mina was the VP of monetisation at food delivery platform Swiggy.

    At Dukaan, Mina will lead strategy and operations for optimising the adoption of the platform, building a strong revenue path, and elevating the growth of the organisation, it said in a statement.

    Mina comes with vast experience having worked for almost two decades across supply, operations, sales, and product & revenue strategy with reputed brands like Swiggy, Coca Cola, LG, Star TV, Marico, and others. Prior to Swiggy, he spent three years working with Hotstar as vice president of sales, product & revenue strategy.

    “Dukaan is now a year old and we are shifting gears to grow and expand strategically,” said Dukaan founder and CEO Suumit Shah. “A seasoned leader like Sandeep Mina brings with him great depth of expertise and experience and also shares our vision to revolutionise and simplify retail. We are pleased to have him on board and look forward to working with him.”

    “Retail and e-commerce are evolving markets and have the potential to grow exponentially in the next few years,” Mina said. “This is the right time to be a part of this industry and contribute to building the direction of this growth. I am happy to be a part of Dukaan, and join the team in building the future of retail.”

  • Clix Capital brings on board Rakesh Kaul as CEO

    Clix Capital brings on board Rakesh Kaul as CEO

    Mumbai: Clix Capital on Thursday announced the appointment of Rakesh Kaul as its new chief executive officer with effect from 16 August.

    As the CEO, he will be responsible for all business verticals, reporting directly to the board, the company said in a statement.

    A 24-year veteran of the financial services sector, Kaul specialises in retail banking, wealth management, insurance, and mortgages. He joins Clix Capital from RHB Malaysia, where he led the consumer banking business for the group covering Malaysia and ASEAN markets. Earlier, he was associated with Citigroup, holding several leadership roles.

    “Be it Product Development, Sales & Distribution, Corporate Strategy, Business Management, and Risk Management, Rakesh’scross-functional exposure has been deep and diverse,” said Clix Capital chairman Pramod Bhasin. “He has tremendous experience in leading teams, managing businesses through change cycles, building scale, and driving transformation.”

    “I’m thrilled to have Rakesh in this role and look forward to collaborating and advancing our founding vision of bridging the credit gap among underserved and unserved cohorts, including MSMEs and new-to-credit consumers,” said Clix Capital founder, Anil Chawla. “He holds a deep understanding of Retail and Corporate Banking along with stellar industry networking, all of which will be invaluable for the growth of our Company.”

    “Given his strong grasp of new-age technologies that are disrupting financial services coupled with robust domain knowledge, Rakesh will play an important role at Clix in building new platforms for growth,” added Apollo Management senior partner & head of India Private Equity, Utsav Baijal.

    “I’m honoured to accept this crucial role with Clix Capital as they continue disrupting and reshaping the NBFC sector,” Rakesh Kaul said. “We will focus on deploying cutting-edge technologies and insightful innovations in driving lending models responsive to end-customer needs. While significantly boosting financial inclusion, Clix Capital remains poised for rapid market expansion.” 

  • Jovees Herbal Care India appoints Rakhi Sharma as VP, marketing & e-commerce

    Jovees Herbal Care India appoints Rakhi Sharma as VP, marketing & e-commerce

    Mumbai: Jovees Herbal Care India has announced the appointment of Rakhi Sharma as vice president, marketing and e-commerce. Sharma will report to Jovees Herbal director Ujjawal Ahuja.

    In her new role, Sharma will be responsible to strengthen and further foster the company’s marketing and e-commerce strategies in order to take Jovees Herbal to greater business growth, the company said in a statement.

    The company is planning 360-degree media campaigns in the coming year and also looking to launch some new skincare ranges in the next few months, it added.

    Sharma has a rich experience of 14 years in brand management, external and internal communication, marketing, corporate communication, PR, and e-commerce. She has worked with companies like American Express, Reliance Broadcast Network, and Percept in her different capacities for various job profiles.

  • Hashtag Orange appoints Ankoor Dasguupta as VP, media

    Hashtag Orange appoints Ankoor Dasguupta as VP, media

    Mumbai: Digital communication agency Hashtag Orange has appointed Ankoor Dasguupta as vice president, media. He has been previously associated with various cultures and teams in large corporations, MNCs, and start-ups.

    In a career spanning over two decades, Dasguupta has worked with GECIS, media houses such as Times of India, India Today Group. His past stints also include Yahoo, Networkplay Media, AdColony, Comexposium India, SHEROES, DDB Mudra. He has been instrumental in the launch of reputed events and success stories such as ad:tech, iMedia Summits, Modern Marketing Summit, and TechCrunch in India.

    Welcoming Dasguupta on board, Hashtag Orange founder Mukesh Vij said, “I am excited to Welcome Ankoor on board. I am confident that Ankoor will be able to deliver value to our clients through his diverse category experience and deep understanding of digital media.”

    On his new role, Dasguupta said, “I am delighted to be a part of the vibrant Hashtag Orange family and look forward to working with the wonderful team in our growth journey.”

  • AppsFlyer appoints Sam Chiu as senior director of marketing – APAC

    AppsFlyer appoints Sam Chiu as senior director of marketing – APAC

    Mumbai: Global attribution and marketing analytics company AppsFlyer has announced veteran Sam Chiu as its new senior director of marketing, Asia-Pacific (APAC). Chiu will report to AppsFlyer APAC president and MD, Ronen Mense.

    In his new role, Chiu will spearhead AppsFlyer’s brand awareness, strategic marketing strategies, and demand generation for the company, driving engagement strategies, supporting the current customer base, and working with high-performing teams across countries. Chiu will relocate to AppsFlyer’s SEAPAC hub in Bangkok, where he will play a critical role in driving the company’s go-to-market strategy for over 22 markets across ASEAN, South Asia (including India and Pakistan), Japan, Korea, and ANZ. 

    “Throughout the last twelve months we have continued to focus on growing AppsFlyer, not only in APAC but globally,” said Mense. “In a crucial time of AppsFlyer’s expansion, Sam brings in a wide range of experience, having worked at an array of established players in the industry. His role will drive key business goals in the region.”

    Chiu brings an extensive amount of experience with close to twenty years of digital transformation and omni-channel strategy implementation to AppsFlyer’s Southeast Asia-Pacific (SEAPAC) team. His full-stack marketing tech career spans Boston, New York City, and Hong Kong across agencies (iProspect), publishers and ad networks (Microsoft, Yahoo), and B2C & B2B advertisers (DFS/LVMH, SAS), with deep experience driving campaign results for various Fortune 500 firms.

    “AppsFlyer is experiencing phenomenal growth, not only in APAC but globally, and I am honored to work alongside talented individuals in the team to further advance our marketing efforts and assert AppsFlyer’s dominance in the region,” said Sam Chiu. “AppsFlyer is well-positioned to help marketers transform their businesses, and the mobile marketing industry continues to expand with the use of mobile apps wildly increasing day by day. I am excited about what lies ahead.”

  • Dentsu International appoints Fred Levron as global chief creative officer

    Dentsu International appoints Fred Levron as global chief creative officer

    New Delhi: Dentsu International on Tuesday named Fred Levron as the company’s global chief creative officer.  In his new role, Levron will lead the network’s holistic creative agenda and its portfolio of creative agencies worldwide. He will join the company on 1 November.

    Levron will build on dentsu international’s current capabilities and storied Japanese creative roots and will be responsible for the network’s creative product and accelerating creativity across the entirety of dentsu international’s Creative, Media and CXM agency brands, as it transforms to become the most integrated network in the world, said the company in a statement.

    Levron joins dentsu from FCB where he served as worldwide creative partner. Prior to FCB, he was part of the leadership team at CAA Marketing, the four-time Emmy winner entertainment agency based in Los Angeles. He also held several positions over his ten-year tenure at Ogilvy Paris where he helped transform the agency into a global creative powerhouse. 

    dentsu international, global CEO, Wendy Clark said, “Fred has one of the most lauded portfolios and creative reputations in the business. His appointment accelerates and emphasizes the importance of creativity as the hallmark of everything we do. I’m counting down the days until he joins.” 

    Levron was recently recognised as the top chief creative officer globally by The Drum publication global ranking in 2020 and The One Club global ranking for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021. He has won close to 200 Cannes Lions including 13 Grand Prix and 46 Gold, three Black Pencils at D&AD, and more than 2000 international awards.

    “My entire career has been driven by the ambition to transform the agencies and network I was part of and build brands and businesses through the power of modern creativity. Today, I’m so excited to start this new transformation journey as I’m joining Wendy and dentsu’s 45,000+ employees. We have the opportunity to build a unique creative company that brings creativity, tech, data, media, entertainment, and commerce together to become the most attractive place for talents out there and the most relevant partner for the biggest brands,” said Levron.

  • Puma India appoints Prabhdeep Bedi as director & head of D2C e-commerce

    Puma India appoints Prabhdeep Bedi as director & head of D2C e-commerce

    Mumbai: German sportswear brand Puma on Monday announced the appointment of Prabhdeep Bedi as director and head of the retailer’s direct-to-consumer e-commerce operations in India.

    Bedi will be responsible to accelerate the brands’ digital transformation journey and lead the D2C eCommerce business and the entire value chain of operations, cataloguing, technology, account management, and customer experience. Prabhdeep will report to Puma India and Southeast Asia, managing director Abhishek Ganguly, the brand said in a statement.

    Commenting on the appointment, Ganguly said, “Prabhdeep brings a strong track record of driving growth-oriented strategies. I am confident that Prabhdeep, with his knowledge and understanding of the e-commerce space coupled with his effective leadership style, will significantly contribute to our growth. His digital-first approach towards business will further help build the next phase of PUMA’s eCommerce journey in India. We are thrilled to welcome Prabhdeep to the PUMA family.”

    Bedi comes with 13 years of rich and diverse experience in various domains like education technology, FMCG, and consulting. In his previous role, he was associated with Toppr Technologies as a chief operating officer for five years. His past stints also include brands like McKinsey & Company, Procter and Gamble India. He holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and an undergraduate degree from IIT Bombay.

    Speaking about his new role, Bedi said, “It’s commendable to see how PUMA has strengthened its foothold in the Indian market in such a short span. The rate at which e-commerce is growing in the country is unimaginable and I am really looking forward to driving strategic innovation initiatives for the brand, keeping in mind the heightened digital awareness of the new-age consumers of today. I am absolutely thrilled to join the team at such an exciting phase in the company’s growth trajectory.”

  • Mindshare South Asia CDO Vinod Thadani moves on

    Mindshare South Asia CDO Vinod Thadani moves on

    Mumbai: Mindshare South Asia’s chief digital officer (CDO), Vinod Thadani has stepped down from his position. Media reports suggest that Thadani is expected to join a leading rival agency soon.

    Thadani had joined Mindshare, the flagship media agency of GroupM, back in May 2014. In 2018, he was promoted as CDO-South Asia and he handled the agency’s full-service digital offerings for existing clients as well as brought in new business to the agency.

    Thadani comes with over two decades of experience in media and advertising. Prior to Mindshare, Thadani was the CEO of Madhouse India, a joint venture between WPP and Madhouse China, and played a crucial role in setting up India’s largest mobile advertising and marketing company.