Category: Regulators

Mumbai : A day after the channel’s founders and promoters Prannoy Roy and Radhika Roy resigned from their positions as directors on the board of RRPR Holding Pvt Ltd, senior journalist Ravish Kumar, too, put in his papers at NDTV (RRPRH) on 30 November.

The resignation is effective right away, according to a statement made by NDTV via an internal mail within the channel.

Also read : Prannoy Roy & Radhika Roy resign from NDTV board

Kumar’s move came after the Gautam Adani-led Adani Group, a conglomerate with diverse business interests, acquired a 29.18 percent stake in television channel NDTV Ltd on 23 August and announced an open offer to buy another 26 percent in the company, as required by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The Adani Group launched its open offer on 22 November which will be open until 5 December.

NDTV Group president Suparna Singh said, “Few journalists have impacted people as much as Ravish. This reflects in the immense feedback about him; in the crowds he draws everywhere; in the prestigious awards and recognition he has received, within India and internationally; and in his daily reports, which champion the rights and needs of those who are under-served.”

“Kumar has been an integral part of NDTV for decades, we know he will be hugely successful as he embarks on a new beginning,” she added.

The Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, Kumar, previously served as the host of several shows, including Prime Time, Des Ki Baat, Ravish ki Report, and Hum Log, the channel’s primary weekday programme. Additionally, he has twice received the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award.

Mumbai: After a stint of 13 years of service, Disney Star head of HR for APAC and India Amita Maheshwari has decided to leave to join an organisation outside of media space.

In an internal memo issued on Monday, Disney Star’s country manager of India and regional head of APAC Luke Kang, confirmed this development in the company.

Maheshwari joined Star India in 2009 as a member of the core management team led by then-CEO Uday Shankar, which led to a strong business performance and YOY growth of more than tenfold over ten years.

She diversified and upgraded Star’s talent pool across the organisation, ensuring her consistent effort to drive organisational growth by defining the right HR and talent strategy, attracting the best and most diverse talent, building strong HR systems, and creating innovative HR solutions with a perfect blend of technology, many of which were industry firsts. Maheshwari’s unwavering dedication to Disney and Star has raised the bar for HR and talent in the company and industry.

She was promoted to HR Head of Disney across APAC and India following the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in March 2019. She led the integration and transitions of Disney and Fox organisations across the region, effectively managing tremendous change while keeping employees at the centre.

Maheshwari’s played a key role in attracting critical senior talent and making Star the talent powerhouse it is today. She has also established very strong DE&I practises in the country. She managed some key transitions and acquisitions in India, including Sports, Maa TV, MediaPro, and Star CJ, to name a few.

Some of the company’s key initiatives, including the launches of Disney+ Hotstar and Disney+ across APAC and India in multiple markets, have been led by Maheshwari.

In 2021, Economic Times named her “HR Leader of the Year.”

With close to 28 years of experience encompassing senior leadership positions across various industries, Maheshwari has seamlessly and successfully managed many mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, and transitions globally. Prior to Star, Maheshwari has worked in diverse organisations such as Asian Paints, GE Capital, Genpact, and MetLife India Insurance.

Mumbai: Debasree Dasgupta has assumed the role of global vice president at Pernod Ricard’s Absolut.

She previously held a position at PepsiCo for over three years as the marketing director for beverages in the UK and Ireland.

With nearly two decades of comprehensive and varied expertise, Debasree Dasgupta has adeptly overseen businesses across various geographies and cultures within esteemed organisations like Unilever and Reckitt, both top-tier blue chip companies. She spent almost nine years at Reckitt and was engaged with Unilever from 2008 to 2011.

Mumbai: Zeenah Vilcassim, who held the post of marketing director at Bacardi has been roped in as the chief executive officer of Zomato’s experience arm- Zomato Live Entertainment.

Vilcassim stepped into Bacardi six years ago as the global brand director for DEWAR’S Scotch whisky, and moved to India in April 2021 as the marketing director of Bacardi India.

At Bacardi, she led flagship properties like BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender, BREEZER Vivid Shuffle, and Casa BACARDÍ Halloween.

Vilcassim flagged off her career as an economist in 2009. Later, she moved on to a management consultant role at Ernst and Young.

Mumbai: Vishal Kaul has been elevated as associate director of marketing – Pro Kabaddi League(Mashal Sports) at Disney Star.  

In his new role, he will be head of marketing function for the league which enters its landmark tenth edition this year.

He has been with Disney Star for over seven years and his last designation was senior manager marketing excellence at Star Sports.

With almost 13 years of experience, Kaul has also worked with Percept, Ogilvy, Times Now, Channel V in brand & marketing roles.

Mumbai: With two years of exponential growth, teams need to grow. As teams grow, it is imperative to ensure the quality of aesthetics and finesse in the delivery of creative solutions is maintained. Centrick attributes this sustained and exponential growth to its people. For this reason, as the time comes to enhance the power in its senior management, it has decided to pick from the people that were instrumental in the growth in the first place. Malavika Shah being promoted from head of interactive content to chief operating officer is the first step in that direction. This agency restructuring at the top besides being a vote of confidence for organic growth must also be seen as the organisation’s measure of conviction in the people that made it a force to reckon with since its inception.

Centrick partner Vistasp Hodiwala says, “Centrick has always been an organisation with a difference. Being ‘Different’ starts with people. ‘Different’ has an impact on the structure. ‘Different’ will steer relationships. Here is an organisation that has grown 417 per cent without pitches, typical servicing or new business development teams. Here ‘creative people’ lead a creative organisation that celebrates one thing together: creativity. That’s why we believe our people are our biggest asset and the perfect successors to this organisation eventually. Malavika is the perfect first step of many in that direction.”

Centrick partner and chief creative officer Roy Menezes says, “Malavika joined us 3.5 years ago as a writer, which quickly escalated to the responsibility of heading a team. She made Centrick her own. Her tenacity, attitude and personality, with a sharp eye for the fine details of product output or relationships, make her the perfect person for this new role. We are glad to see our dear people take on the reins.”

Shah says, “Centrick has always had this warm fuzzy feeling we love to call home. Vistasp, Vikram and Roy have tried to build a place where one does not come in to do a ‘job’ but to do what they love to do. I love talking to people and I love writing and I just did what I loved doing. I thank them for building this place that celebrates good work and people and look forward to this new role.”

Mumbai: Jabil Inc, a global manufacturing solutions provider, has announced the appointment of BN Shukla as operations director for India. Shukla will lead the electronics manufacturing services (EMS) operations, business and expansion opportunities in his new role. 

Shukla has been a senior management leader with a stellar track record, exemplifying strong leadership qualities and a passion for delivering results. Joining the company in 2004 as a plant quality engineering manager, his most recent role as senior business unit manager saw him managing the profit and loss (P&L) statement, overseeing business unit operations, and driving new business development initiatives.

Commenting on the appointment, Asia Operations VP SW Teo said, “Shukla has a deep understanding of Jabil’s values, processes, and customer-centric approach and is well-positioned to drive operational efficiency and maintain the highest standards of excellence that Jabil is known for. His deep industry knowledge, exceptional leadership skills, and commitment to our core values make him the ideal choice for this crucial role. We are confident that under his leadership, our operations in India will continue to flourish and exceed expectations.”

Shukla added, “I am humbled by the opportunity. I am dedicated to upholding Jabil’s reputation for excellence and innovation and look forward to working closely with our dedicated staff in driving the company’s growth in India’s burgeoning market.”

With a career spanning over 25 years, Shukla is an alumnus of the Jawaharlal Nehru Engineering College, Aurangabad, from where he holds an engineering degree along with a postgraduate in Operations Management from the Institute of Management Technology (IMT) Ghaziabad, India.

Mumbai: Havas India chairman and chief creative officer Bobby Pawar has decided to step down from his role. He joined the network in November 2018. A much-revered advertising legend, Pawar has been a part of the advertising industry for over three decades. Following this, Pawar has decided to move away from advertising. He will, however, be a part of Havas India officially till September and will continue to consult on Havas’ clients and projects as and when necessary.

“There are some who will think there is some hanky-panky to my stepping away. I understand the appeal of it. It certainly makes for more interesting gossip sessions. The truth is, sometimes life leads you to a crossroad. Or, in my case, it is death. Over the last year, I lost way too many people I love, way too early. All of them had their ‘one day I will do this or that’. This made me realise that I had to find what I would love to do that ‘one day’ and do it right now. Yeah, it is hard to walk away from what I have loved for thirty-one years. But I have always chosen to do the hard thing. Like, take on the challenges of changing the course of the agencies I have helmed. Now it’s time to do that with my own life. What is certain though, is that writing will be a huge part of whatever I dive into next. I am nothing if not a storyteller, a craftsman who chisels prose with a pen,” said Pawar.

Looking back at his time at Havas India, Pawar said, “The concept of Havas Village is what excited me the most. Moreover, both Rana and I were entrusted with the freedom to build and run Havas India from ground up, like entrepreneurs. Something I had not experienced before. It takes two to tango, and with a friend like Rana, who really is more of family than a friend, it was easy. And today, I can proudly say that we have built a brand-led, digital-first ecosystem, the results of which are here for all to see. Havas India has undergone an unprecedented transformation and has seen exponential growth over the last 5 years. We have made our place in the big league, and we are here to stay. I am grateful to Yannick Bollore for his faith in us, to our teams across all the companies of Havas India for giving their all to the mission, and Rana, you know how I feel about you.”

Speaking on Pawar’s departure, Havas India Group CEO Rana Barua said, “Ours is truly a Yin and Yang partnership. Especially when you know your creative half for nearly three decades, it becomes a seamless, productive, and truly memorable journey. Bobby helped me rebuild Havas’ presence in India, and with his creative prowess and reputation, he completely overhauled the Creative vertical of the network. With his trademark humor and quirks, Bobby made Havas India more than just a place to work. Some goodbyes are bittersweet because while I will not see him around at work, he will continue to be an inextricable part of my life. I wish him all the very best for this new chapter of his life.”

Barua further elaborates the structure of Havas Creative & Health Network India with immediate effect following Pawar’s exit. Havas Worldwide will be in the hands of Anupama (Anu) Ramaswamy who joined Havas Worldwide India as chief creative officer last year. Along with CEO Tarun Jha and chief strategy officer Anirban Mozumdar, they will oversee all the three Havas Worldwide India offices and client relationships.

“The other agencies in the Creative & Health network and their respective creative leads, namely – Havas Life Sorento (chief creative officer Sachin Talwalkar), Havas CX India (executive creative director Ashu Mhatre,), Havas People (managing director Arindam Sengupta), Conran Design Mumbai (Head of Design Mayuri Nikumbh), Shobiz (chief creative officer Subir Majumdar), Think Design (design director Arun Chauhan) along with their CEOs – will continue to work closely across the Village (and Havas Media Network India) and report into me”, said Barua.

In his own words, Pawar is allergic to math, but his numbers aren’t half bad. He is a two-time copywriter of the year, with over 400 local and international metals. He was IAA India’s Creative Agency Leader of the Year (2021), and Campaign Asia’s Creative Person of the Year (2011) for India and South Asia. Before his tenure at Havas India, Pawar spent five and a half years at Publicis, where he created some of the country’s most talked-about and effective campaigns. In his earlier role as the chief creative officer of JWT, he made a marked difference in the agency’s creative product. Pawar also spent four and a half years as the CCO of DDB Mudra Group where he raised the creative bar across many disciplines; digital, experiential and media. As a result, he transformed the group into one of the hottest agencies in the country. Moreover, Pawar was in the United States for seven years where he worked with Ogilvy, New York and BBDO, Chicago. One of his films ran on the Superbowl, got featured in the MoMA and nominated for an Emmy.