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Category: People

  • GroupM India appoints Karthik Shankar as head of digital trading

    GroupM India appoints Karthik Shankar as head of digital trading

    Mumbai: GroupM India, WPP’s media investment group, has announced the appointment of Karthik Shankar as head of digital trading. He will be responsible for digital trading and partnerships for the company and will report to GroupM India’s investments & pricing president Sidharth Parashar, the company said.

    Karthik comes with vast experience in building businesses using digital advertising technologies. He has worked with video technology start-ups and set up business units for programmatic & connected TV platforms.

    Sidharth Parashar said, “Karthik has a proven track record of managing tech & media partnerships, digital trading, e-commerce, and leading brand safety initiatives. We believe that Karthik would play a pivotal role, as we partner with our esteemed clients in their digital transformation journey,”

    On his new role, Karthik Shankar said, “These are exciting times for digital advertising which is witnessing hyper-growth in all spectrums including video, commerce, and data. Clients and partners seek guidance and support in navigating this complex ecosystem. This role has the right mix of understanding, access, and ability to collaborate with the ecosystem to streamline media investments. I am excited to join and be part of the GroupM family.”

  • The Hershey Company appoints Geetika Mehta as MD, India

    The Hershey Company appoints Geetika Mehta as MD, India

    Mumbai: North America-based global snacking company and chocolate maker, The Hershey Company, announced the appointment of Geetika Mehta, as managing director, India effective from 1 July. India continues to remain a key focus market for Hershey International and the organization is committed to talent development and building leadership. Geetika’s appointment will further strengthen the leadership at Hershey India, the company said in a statement.

    Geetika will be reporting to The Hershey Company India VP and AEMEA Herjit Bhalla, who was recently elevated to a global role. Herjit reports directly to Hershey International president Rohit Grover.

    In her most recent role, she served at Hindustan Unilever as general manager for its home and hygiene business. With various leadership roles in FMCG and food businesses, Geetika brings over 18 years of experience across commercial and consumer marketing.  

    Welcoming Geetika on board, Hermit Bhalla said, “The Indian market is of significant importance to us and is critical to our long-term growth plans. In our endeavor to further strengthen the leadership and drive resilient growth and execution, we are delighted to have Geetika onboard. With a proven track record of building and nurturing small businesses and leading growth for large businesses and driving profitability and turnaround, I am confident that Geetika will successfully lead the Hershey India team into the next phase of growth, scale and evolution.”

    The newly appointed MD said, “I am excited to start my new journey and be a part of the wonderful narrative at Hershey India. My central focus will be on the next phase of growth in developing a strong, multi-category play while strengthening positions across key growth segments. I look forward to script a strong growth story in India with the immensely talented team here.”

  • Devyani Rajya Laxmi Rana joins Coca-Cola India’s leadership team

    Devyani Rajya Laxmi Rana joins Coca-Cola India’s leadership team

    New Delhi: Coca-Cola on Thursday strengthened its leadership team and appointed Devyani Rajya Laxmi Rana, as vice president Public Affairs, Communications, and Sustainability for India and Southwest Asia.

    Formerly, Devyani was director of Public Affairs for India, Nepal, Bhutan for Caterpillar India, leading Caterpillar and its subsidiaries’ work in government/corporate affairs, public relations and communications, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability for the region. Before that, she led portfolios with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United Nations (UN) in India, as well as The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, Geneva, Switzerland World Economic Forum (WEF).

    She has over 25 years of work experience in government and corporate affairs, strategic business advocacy, risk management, communications, CSR, and sustainability.

    Coca-Cola, president, India, and Southwest Asia, Sanket Ray said, “I am delighted to welcome Devyani on this exciting charter to deepen Coca-Cola’s engagement in the region as she joins the leadership team to spearhead the practice in the region. Devyani brings a wealth of experience in advocating for policies, legislation, trade agreements, and regulations. Her contributions will augment our belief in our purpose even stronger and serve as an acceleration of the work that was already underway.”

    Devyani has successfully developed effective strategies focused on maximizing impact in the region on infrastructure, environmental, social and governance, and trade, resulting in business profitability, increased footprint, and expanded manufacturing operations for domestic and export markets, said the company in a statement. Apart from that, she has also led advocacy, internal, external, and brand communications initiatives that have delivered positive business outcomes and contributed to the engagement of the organizations and teams she served.

    An alumnus of London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), London, Devyani holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur in Nepal and a Bachelor of Arts, (Hons.) in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.

  • Kantar brings in Chris Jansen as group CEO

    MUMBAI: Data and media company Kantar has announced the appointment of Chris Jansen as group chief executive officer, effective 1 November. He is currently CEO at Cognita, a global schools group.

    Jansen joins Kantar with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the services sector, ranging from brand building to service delivery transformation, alongside a background in classic FMCG marketing, and an established track record of managing private equity-owned businesses.

    Welcoming Jansen on board, Kantar chairman Adam Crozier said, “Chris’ track record of building great companies, as well as his entrepreneurial and competitive spirit, further strengthens the leadership team we have been building over the past 18 months. Chris is a highly people-centric leader who understands the importance a strong culture plays in delivering outstanding results. As we continue on our transformation journey at Kantar and build on our recent business momentum, his leadership will be instrumental in fulfilling the ambition that we have for Kantar.”

    Jansen has previously served in various leadership roles, and board positions at both British Gas and British Airways. He led the Automobile Association (AA) to a stock market flotation in 2014.

    Kantar’s newly appointed CEO said, “Kantar is rightly regarded as a world leader in data and insights-led consultancy and has an outstanding reputation with its clients. This is a result of having outstanding people, and I am really looking forward to working very closely with the Kantar team. We have an exciting future ahead, as we continue to embrace advanced analytics and the latest technology in order to better serve our clients.”

  • upGrad names Shreyas Shevade as Head of Creative & Content Marketing for India

    Mumbai: Higher ed-tech start-up upGrad on Thursday announced the appointment of Shreyas Shevade as the head of creative and content marketing. Shreyas’s role will be to integrate upGrad’s brand messaging across traditional and new media.

    An award-winning creative professional, Shevade brings with him over 11 years of experience in integrated advertising, digital marketing, PR, and relationship marketing. He has previously worked with leading and multi-national agencies such as MRM//McCann, Edelman, Contract Advertising, Rediffusion Y&R, and Grey Worldwide.

    Through the course of his career, Shevade has crafted clutter-breaking campaigns for brands like Volkswagen, Durex, Surf Excel, Dove, Bajaj Allianz, and IndiaFirst Life Insurance, which have won several national and international awards.

    On welcoming Shreyas to his new role, upGrad, CEO-India, Arjun Mohan said, “Smartly-crafted branded content and storytelling skills have the potential to connect with audiences at an emotional level. Shreyas’s rich marketing experience and cultural inclination will help us strengthen our brand presence across the country. We are thrilled to welcome Shreyas to the upGrad family.”

    Talking about his new role, Shevade, said, “Edtech is at an interesting juncture of revolutionising education, changing the norms of how, where, when, and who it is made accessible to, and upGrad is at the helm of this revolution. The fact that upGrad’s philosophy of Lifelong Learning matches my own, and that I get to work closely with entrepreneurs I’ve admired from afar, is what I’m pumped about the most.”

    Inclined to the tradition of imparting knowledge and education even outside of work, Shreyas gives guest lectures at Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad. He also works with home-grown businesses within his networks, to guide and mentor them in their marketing initiatives, said the company in a statement.

  • Swiggy COO Vivek Sunder moves on, CEO Majety to take charge

    Mumbai: After serving the company for three years, Swiggy’s chief operating officer (COO) Vivek Sunder has put in his papers at the company and will transition out by October-end.

    Swiggy’s chief executive officer (CEO) Sriharsha Majety told employees in an internal email on Wednesday that Sunder, who oversees its food delivery business, has decided to pursue interests outside of the company.

    Majety added that he will be overseeing the marketplace business directly. “We have been discussing this for a while now, and over the course of the past few weeks, have been planning the way forward as well,” he wrote.

    Sunder had joined the company in 2018 after spending close to two decades at FMCG major Procter & Gamble as its managing director. He had been responsible for scaling Swiggy’s key businesses, including food delivery, and its foray into grocery.

    “Vivek has played a very significant role in the growth story of Swiggy – as a brand, as a service, and as an organisation, since joining us three years ago. He played a pivotal role in expanding the geographical footprint of the marketplace business taking Swiggy beyond 500+ cities, and later rallied the organisation to drive a step-change in the unit economics of the marketplace business,” Majety added.

    This is the second big exit at Swiggy after co-founder and chief technology officer Rahul Jaimini exited to join Pesto Tech, last year.

  • Dentsu International announces Merlee Jayme as CCO-APAC

    MUMBAI: Dentsu International on Thursday announced the appointment of Merlee Jayme as the chief creative officer, Asia Pacific (APAC), with immediate effect. She will be responsible for creative excellence across dentsu’s creative and experience agencies in the region. These agencies include Isobar, dentsumcgarrybowen, and creative agencies under the house of dentsu, such as dentsu One, Dentsu Webchutney, and Taproot Dentsu.

    Jayme will report to dentsu global CEO-creative, Jean Lin and dentsu Asia Pacific CEO Ashish Bhasin. Merlee will continue as part of the core team in the global creative experience council at dentsu and sponsor of the region’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) programme.

    Welcoming Merlee on board, Jean Lin said, “At dentsu, we bring together brand and experience around the organising power of an idea. Dentsu wants to be the most integrated agency network in the world, and compelling ideas and cultural insights play a pivotal role in achieving this vision. Merlee’s inclusive creative leadership, Asian roots, and global experience work brilliantly to deliver idea-led transformation in Asia Pacific – one of the most vibrant playgrounds for business creativity. We have an ambitious plan for the Asia Pacific and are thrilled to have Merlee focus on the region she calls home.”

    Jayme is one of the most awarded Asian creative leaders and entrepreneurs in the industry, who joined the group through dentsu’s acquisition of her creative agency, JaymeSyfu. She was previously dentsumcgarrybowen’s global co-president. Merlee is a passionate advocate for the power of ideas in changing the world and DEI, and recently served as Jury President for Radio & Audio at Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2021.
    On her new role, Jayme commented, “My global role at dentsumcgarrybowen has opened my eyes to the integrated opportunities we can create to push creativity and innovation, solving our client’s problems with all creative capabilities across dentsu. I am excited to be back in my home region, working hand-in-hand with our amazing colleagues in Asia Pacific to create great work that matters for our clients.”

    Ashish Bhasin said, “Merlee’s creative ability speaks for itself and when the opportunity arose to give her a broader remit across the region, it was a no-brainer. Her entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, and innate ability to get the best out of the people she works with make her truly unique, and I am excited to see her instill further excellence across our agencies and unleash the potential of our Creative business, driving deeper connections with our clients and the consumers they’re talking with.”

  • BBDO India appoints Krishna Mani as CCO

    MUMBAI: The media and ad agency BBDO India has announced the appointment of Krishna Mani as the chief creative officer (CCO) for their Delhi office. Mani has previously worked with Dentsu and Ogilvy.  

    Krishna brings with him a rich background in advertising, having nearly two decades of brand work that involves many accolades including Cannes Lions nominations at Ogilvy Delhi, and a brief stint at Dentsu.

    Talking about Mani’s appointment, BBDO India chairman and CCO Josy Paul said, “It was love at the first chat! It was instant creative chemistry! Sometimes you just know when you’ve found the right creative partner. Thrilled to have Krishna Mani lead the creative culture and product of BBDO in Delhi. Krishna’s work is legendary, his craft is brilliant, and his focus on where advertising is going is exciting. Together we’ll hit the sweet spot where the media meets the idea. Along with our youthful and diverse talent, we believe Krishna Mani will create greater value for our clients as he pushes the industry forward.”

  • Isobar India appoints Aalap Desai as national creative director

    MUMBAI: Isobar, the digital agency from the house of dentsu India, has roped in Aalap Desai as National creative director (NCD). In his new role, Aalap will lead the agency’s creative team and report to COO Gopa Kumar.

    Aalap was previously associated with dentsumcgarrybowen (dentsuMB) India where he held the position of NCD. In addition to this, he also co-headed the creative team at Mumbai-based Dentsu Webchutney and was behind some of the agency’s most notable works. Aalap’s professional stints also include Disney+ Hotstar, Leo Burnett, JWT, DDB Mudra, Ogilvy, and Publicis Ambience.  

    Speaking on the appointment, Isobar South Asia managing director Shamsuddin Jasani said, “At Isobar, our motto is to ‘Invent, Make, Change’. We are striving to deliver innovative creative experience-led solutions for our brands in India. Aalap looks at tech as not something dry and lifeless but as something that can change lives and makes it work harder for brands. That’s a perfect fit with our philosophy and is the apt approach we need to make Isobar future-proof as a leader in innovations in India.”

    Gopa Kumar said, “We live in an age of clutter coupled with shrunken attention spans. For brands to rip through the noise and stand out is of paramount importance. Creativity is the only thing that can make that possible. It is not garnishing anymore. It is the meat. It is the substance, and it is the only way brands can take a leap. Aalap’s brand of creativity is just what Isobar India needs. Enjoyable and meaningful. I couldn’t think of anyone else better than Aalap to partner us in our next phase of growth.”

    Desai has won over 150 International & National awards and has also written feature film scripts, web series, and TV shows.

    Commenting on his joining, Desai said, “Digital is a creative mine that is still hugely under-explored. Solving brand challenges with a proper insight that is supplemented by digital intuition is an explosive combination that very few people are aware of and something that even fewer choose to tap into. This combination has always been part of the Isobar DNA, and I will work towards hyper-charging it. Also, the past year has been tiring. Work pressure has eclipsed the joy we derived from work. One of my top agendas will be to reverse that because I genuinely believe that a tiny, seemingly insignificant thing as joy is actually the only key that opens up many locks. It unlocks creativity, leading to unlocking fame, awards, and a thriving creative culture because all of these follow. Isobar has phenomenal energy and a brilliant set of people. I’m looking forward to having tons of fun.”

  • Blue Buzz ropes in Ayan Dutta as head – operations

    New Delhi: Blue Buzz, the full-service integrated marketing agency on Tuesday announced the appointment of Ayan Dutta as Head of PR Operations. In his role, Ayan will oversee business operations, including the execution of Blue Buzz’s goals and strategic initiatives.

    “The past few years Blue Buzz has witnessed immense success. Building a strong and experienced management team is a key part of our strategy”, said Blue Buzz, co-founder, Neha K Bisht. “We are delighted to welcome Ayan to Blue Buzz. This announcement is a testament to our commitment to realizing our vision and strengthening our support for Blue Buzz’s clients. Ayan brings a passion to his work that inspires teams and clients. His counsel will substantially help our clients that seek to enter or grow their presence in the market”.

    On his new role, Dutta said, “I am truly honored and excited to join Blue Buzz at a time of significant organic growth and expansion through business development. I look forward to working closely with Neha and our exceptional team here at Blue Buzz to capture the next wave of growth and help create significant value while serving our clients. Together we aim to provide the best career experience for our people”.

    Ayan brings with himself over years of agency experience in managing a broad range of communication mandates. He will be responsible for ensuring the business growth & in line with the agency’s strategy, providing leadership and counsel to the teams and clients, said the agency in a statement.