Category: People

Mumbai: Wrap2Earn, India’s leading technology-driven out-of-home (OOH) media marketplace, is thrilled to announce the addition of Sanjay Malkani to its dynamic leadership team. Malkani, a seasoned professional in the outdoor advertising industry, brings over 20 years of invaluable experience to his new role.

Throughout his illustrious career, Malkani has held key leadership positions in some of the industry’s largest agencies, including Purnima Advertising, Mediascope Publicitas, Clear Channel, Posterscope, and Ogilvy. His journey as managing partner & national head has seen him drive business growth across multiple advertising verticals.

Wrap2Earn has witnessed remarkable growth in the past few years, emerging as the largest cab branding agency in India. Boasting an impressive portfolio of 500+ campaigns, for over 300 clients, branding over 100k cabs, across 37 cities in India.  

At Wrap2Earn, Sanjay will spearhead the sales division, driving growth and forging new partnerships with brands looking to leverage the power of technology in the cab branding segment. With his profound understanding of the advertising landscape, he aims to accelerate Wrap2earn’s growth further and cement their position as market leaders.

“We are delighted to welcome Sanjay to Wrap2Earn’s leadership team. His wealth of experience and expertise in the outdoor advertising domain will undoubtedly play a pivotal role in our continued growth and success,” said Wrap2Earn Technologies founder Elmer Dsilva.

“I am excited to be a part of the Wrap2Earn team. Their innovative approach to out-of-home advertising and commitment towards transparency is a breath of fresh air,” said Malkani.

“As the demand for creative on-vehicle advertising solutions surges, I look forward to working with the talented team at Wrap2Earn, expand our offerings and achieve exceptional results for our clients.”

Mumbai: Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd, a leading name in the Indian media and entertainment sector, is pleased to announce the appointment of Suryadeep Basiya as the head of the Gujarati category. This strategic move reflects Shemaroo’s commitment to further enrich its content offerings and create engaging experiences for its audience in the dynamic entertainment landscape.

With a demonstrated track record in the media and entertainment industry, Suryadeep has made significant contributions during his tenure at CineMan Productions Ltd and Zibanka Media Services. Notably, in 2021, he co-founded Oho Gujarati and served as the CEO, successfully establishing it as a prominent player in the Gujarati content domain. Suryadeep Basiya’s appointment is effective immediately, and he will report to Arpit Mankar.

Shemaroo Entertainment head of non-Bollywood category Arpit Mankar commented, “We’re excited to extend a warm welcome to Suryadeep, who joins Shemaroo as the Head of the Gujarati Category. His impressive journey and achievements stand as proof of his visionary prowess in the media and entertainment realm. His deep experience in the Gujarati Entertainment industry across films, web series and digital content will play a pivotal part in nurturing a strategic direction for our Gujarati category. We look forward to the fresh perspectives he brings to the table and his role in expanding the Gujarati content portfolio.”

Expressing his excitement, Basiya shared, “I’m thrilled to embark on a new chapter with Shemaroo, aiming to have a significant impact on the brand and its operations. The rich cultural tapestry of Gujarati content holds immense potential, and together with the talented team at Shemaroo, I am committed to delivering experiences that resonate with audiences far and wide. This journey presents an incredible opportunity to redefine the Gujarati entertainment landscape and create meaningful connections through storytelling.”

Suryadeep Basiya’s appointment aligns with Shemaroo’s strategic vision to continuously adapt and cater to the evolving preferences of its viewers. His proven ability to drive successful ventures and his entrepreneurial spirit will be instrumental in shaping the future of Shemaroo’s Gujarati content offerings.

Mumbai: Dentsu Creative India continues to reinvent the boundaries of excellence with the appointment of Shweta Khosla and Punit Singh as executive vice president (EVP) – strategy & planning. In their new roles, the duo will report into Dentsu Creative India chief strategy officer (CSO) Sumeer Mathur.

As per the mandate, they will deliver transformative strategies for the agency’s key clients and brands. Their expertise will prove instrumental in addressing brand challenges and elevating the creative standards across both offices. Together, Khosla and Singh will fortify the agency’s strategic capabilities, delivering solutions that blend modern creativity, human insights, cultural authenticity, data analysis, and cutting-edge technology.

Khosla will lead the strategy team in the Bengaluru office, leveraging her exceptional leadership skills and comprehensive funnel approach. Meanwhile, Singh will take charge in the Gurugram office, spearheading strategic thinking on vital accounts and establishing an integrated strategy team to enhance client support.

Prior to this, Khosla led the strategy of Wunderman Thompson as senior vice president & executive planning director. With a 20-year background in strategic planning across 10 countries and diverse categories, Khosla has extensive experience, particularly in beverages, beauty, fashion, newspapers, and technology. Beginning her journey after completing her bachelor’s in chemistry from St. Stephens College, she embarked on her advertising career with Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore, and subsequently held positions at JWT and Grey.

Singh brings with him a robust experience of over 17 years, having worked across startups, media, and creative agencies. His expertise extends across both the client side and the agency landscape. In his most recent role, he served as lead planner at Lowe Lintas, working with brands such as Google Search, Google Maps, Google Assistant, Google Home, Upstox, OLX, and HP, among others. Singh has also excelled as a digital integration evangelist, making a significant impact on various brands and offices. His skill set encompasses tech, data, digital, product, consumer, and communication. In addition to this, his work has garnered recognition at the national, regional, and global levels, receiving prestigious awards and accolades from platforms such as Effies, Emvies, WARC, and Cannes Lions.

Speaking on the appointments, Mathur said, “I am very excited to welcome Shweta and Punit to the team. Their wealth of experience and insightful perspectives will certainly revolutionize our strategic product. With their exceptional leadership on key accounts, we are confident that they will inspire their teams to harness Modern Creativity and drive exceptional results. Exciting times lie ahead, and we are well-positioned for a promising journey.”

Khosla commented, “The question that marketers are increasingly asking is how to make brand equity connect and deliver results across their consumers’ fragmented journey. This requires collaboration across data, creative, and media – a necessary change of approach that dentsu has already initiated. However, a new way of working is not the only reason I consider myself lucky to be a part of this team. I have entered a culture of kindness and a happy work environment, which is the secret sauce for creating ideas that deliver.”

Singh added, “I am thrilled to join Dentsu Creative. I have long admired their work, especially their interpretation of ‘Modern Creativity’ which has been recognized not just in India but worldwide. I look forward to working and learning with such a talented bunch of people to create work that is both effective and engaging.”

Mumbai: The National Company Law Tribunal’s (NCLT) Mumbai bench will pronounce its order on the merger between Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) and Culver Max Entertainment (Sony) on 10 August.

Keeping in mind the objections raised by financial and operational creditors, the division bench of judicial member HV Subba Rao and technical member Madhu Sinha reserved its order in the merger on 10 July. The division bench also permitted parties to file their written submissions.

Mumbai: Following its growth strategy, the leadership team at ideacafe, has been focusing on carefully handpicking industry stalwarts and building a team of diverse talent that reflects, relates, and resonates with the evolved integrated communication ecosystem.

In line with this objective, ideacafe, founded by Nabendu Bhattacharyya, has announced the appointment of Samir Vithlani  as senior vice president & national head driving the event &  experiential arm ‘HappE hrs’. With close to 18 years of experience as an integrated marketing & experiential solutions specialist Vithlani has also driven P&L Management apart from being an educationist. Vithlani has been associated with DDB Mudra Group, Ogilvy & Mather, Radio Mirchi, Aurora Comms and other notable brands in key leadership positions.

A 40 under 40 awardee at the Indian Achievers club and an MBA from KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research, Vithlani is a sought-after speaker and lecturer at various educational institutions.

When contacted Bhattacharyya, he said, “Samir brings in the much-needed experience in the experiential space which we believe to be an integral part of our integrated communication solutions. At Ideacafe he will align with the company’s overall business objectives, striking a balance between above the line and below the line initiatives, through research, technology and idea led initiatives.”

Vithlani has a stellar background of working with various brands namely Britannia, Legrand, Mercedes, Zydus Wellness, Mondelez India, Greenply, HSBC and others.

Speaking about his appointment, Vithlani said, “When you have to set-up a new brand, the most important ingredient is people. With Nabendu sir’s business acumen and team ideacafe’s philosophy, we intend to create some great experiences for our prestigious clients. The brand ‘HappE hrs’ will curate integrated experiential campaigns by keeping the idea as the key centrepiece and execution as the base of our foundation.”

ideacafe aims to revolutionise the future of brand communication, I love the vision of ideacafe which is futuristic , innovative & data technology backed  with its idea-centric and insight driven approach and the assimilation of talent within the agency is indicative of their plans for the future.

Mumbai: Social Panga, the integrated creative and digital marketing agency founded by Himanshu Arora and Gaurav Arora has announced the appointment of Rohit Singh as creative director.

Singh brings with him a cumulative experience of 12+ years and will be based in Bangalore. Prior to joining Social Panga, Singh worked with Publicis and Ogilvy wherein he looked into some key accounts which included Vodafone, Canon, Taco Bell, Philips and Dabur.

His new role at Social Panga involves overlooking creative mandates involving ATL/BTL, digital, production with an integrated approach.

Commenting on his appointment, Social Panga co-founder Gaurav Arora said, “We are glad to welcome Rohit on board as our leading creative mafia. As we continue on our journey of growing strength to strength and offering more new age tech solutions to brands, we need people who can bring in fresh outlook, enthusiasm and a sense of oneness. Rohit’s creative mind fits well with our current phase of expansion, and we look forward towards working with him.”

Adding to it, Social Panga co-founder Himanshu Arora said, “Rohit’s addition to the team comes in sync with our long-term vision at Social Panga. He brings in a holistic and integrated outlook with a new-age approach. His creative vision and aspiration to do global award-winning work fits with our Panga DNA. Super excited to see what holds for us in the coming times.”

Speaking on his appointment Singh said, “The times are confusing. Cringe is cool, portfolios are sneakers, AI – a friend or foe, we don’t know. Whatever it is, we are at a pivotal moment that will define modern culture and that’s exciting for any creative person. I feel extremely thrilled to be joining Social Panga in such times. We are growing in terms of people and business while evolving to become one of the most watched independent agencies in India.”

Social Panga recently expanded its Delhi operations and is now a 400-seater office across Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi.

Mumbai:  Angel investor and Pepperfry co-founder and CEO Ambareesh Murty has bid adieu to the world. Murty, 51, passed away in Leh due to a cardiac arrest.

Murty founded omnichannel furniture and home decor company Pepperfry in 2012 with co-founder and COO Ashish Shah. He recently announced the completion of 12 years at Pepperfry in his LinkedIn post.

Murty completed his Bachelors in Engineering from the Delhi College of Engineering in 1994, and was an alumnus of IIT Calcutta, 1996 batch.

Murty had an experience of 27 years in general management across FMCG, financial services, and internet industries. He began his career with Cadbury in their sales and marketing division, and had short stints in ICICI Prudential, Britannia and Levi’s.

As per his LinkedIn profile, Murty ran a financial training and business consulting firm, Origin Resources from 2003-05 in Bangalore, after which he joined eBay as their Country Manager for India, Philippines and Malaysia where he stayed till 2011.

Murty is survived by his wife and son.

Mumbai: Havas Worldwide India, the creative arm of Havas India, has further strengthened its strategy and account planning teams across its Mumbai and Gurgaon offices with two key appointments. Mohini Varma has joined as executive vice president & planning head – North, and Jasravee Kaur Chandra has been appointed as senior vice president of Havas Worldwide India. Both will report to Havas Worldwide India chief strategy officer Anirban Mozumdar and will be based out of Gurgaon and Mumbai, respectively.

Commenting on the appointments, Mozumdar said, “It is a very exciting time for Havas Worldwide India as we make even bigger strides in our growth journey. I’m beyond thrilled to welcome such impressive strategic thinkers with proven track-records as Mohini and Jasravee to our team. Mohini’s insights are the investment we need for our key clients to rise to the challenges of the new-age consumer and propel us in the right direction in our endeavour of providing integrated solutions. In Jasravee, we find the right blend of experience and thought leadership, which will be instrumental in nurturing and building on our strategic ability from a consumer, data, and integration perspective.”

A journalist-turned-advertising-professional, Varma also dabbled in art curation before finding her footing firmly in the adland. Over her career, she has furthered strategy and brand communications at leading advertising agencies like Leo Burnett, JWT, Mindshare, DDB Mudra, and FCB India. She has worked on marquee brands across a wide range of industries and sectors such as Google, YouTube, Uber, Pernod Ricard, Domino’s, Mother Dairy, and GSK, among others. As the executive vice president & planning head – North at Havas Worldwide India, Varma’s primary mandate will be to leverage her strategy skills and simultaneously win new businesses and further strengthen client relationships in the North and East markets.

Varma said, “In an incredibly VUCA world and at a time when brand trust is at an all-time low, Havas’ model of building brands that create actual and meaningful difference in everyday lives couldn’t be more relevant. Along with that, while all agencies promise integration, Havas’ village model is already an up and running a seamlessly integrated system that offers clients, tech-first 360-degree solutions, all under one roof. I couldn’t be more excited to start my journey with Havas and make a meaningful difference to our brands and businesses.”

Chandra is not new to the Havas family. She had an enriching stint with the health communications specialist agency Havas Life Sorento as a brand strategy consultant and senior vice president of strategic planning. In her new role at Havas Worldwide India as the senior vice president, she will focus on expanding the breadth of creative portfolio in the West and South regions using a client-first approach, keeping talent and team building at the core. Chandra’s skills as a strategic brand planner and communications expert include integrated brand campaigns, repositioning & building brand architecture, digital-first branding, insights & strategy. Having worked at advertising agencies like Lowe Lintas, Leo Burnett, and JWT, her portfolio includes a diverse range of brands across sectors like Coca Cola, Dove, FedEx, Godrej, Lifebuoy, Boroplus, HBO, Lakme Salon, among others.

Chandra said, “Having worked with Havas on the consumer health businesses for more than a year, I had witnessed first-hand the commitment and conviction of Havas India towards ensuring an integrated offering. Consumers demand seamlessness experiences across the consumer journey and channels and the village ecosystem is the perfect model to make this a reality. I have always been passionate about brands making a meaningful difference to consumers and Havas, with its proprietary framework, Meaningful Brands, is walking the talk. I’m very excited about entering the Havas global village and look forward to making a meaningful difference to all stakeholders.”

These latest appointments follow the recent additions of Srishti Jain Khandelwal as assistant vice president, and Anuraag Srivastava as vice president – strategic planning, bolstering Havas Worldwide India’s strategy function which has played a pivotal role in creating meaningful and innovative business solutions for its clients.

Mumbai: “After an illustrious career spanning 15 years, Sunita Uchil has decided to step down from her position as the chief business officer of Zee Plus, the international co-production division of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEE), to pursue her interests outside the organization. Sunita has successfully helmed the international ad sales, syndication and co-production units for the company’s international business over the years, strengthening ZEE’s connect with the Indian diaspora across the globe. We thank her for the invaluable contribution towards the growth of the Company, and wish her success in all her future endeavours,” mentioned a Zee company spokesperson. 

 Uchil is a career media professional with over 30 years’ experience in the TV, radio & print industry with a vast working knowledge across sectors.  A savvy executive with an entrepreneurial mindset, she is skilled in building new divisions and growing existing ones. A much sought after panellist in industry events, she is also an active juror for many prestigious awards and events in the industry. In 2022, she became the first representative from India to be appointed on the advisory board of FRAPA.

Uchil’s numerous career highlights include exec producing ‘Life of Earth From Space’, a blue-chip science documentary,  along with the Smithsonian channel; co-producing ‘Deceptive Measures’, the African remake of a hit Indian drama and overseeing the ZEE – Televisa Univision co-production of ‘The Spice Trails’, a culinary travelogue series. She was named by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the Most Powerful Women in Global Television.

Her latest project was completed in July 2023 and is titled ‘Lions: Now or Never’, a premium wildlife documentary series with Talesmith U.K.  The series delves into the highly controversial aspect of trophy hunting as a means to conservation while also unravelling the lions unique relationship with humans and their need for growth on our planet.  The series is filmed in the two natural habitats of the lion, India & Africa.

Her future projects are to be announced soon. 

Mumbai: Farhad Khan, renowned for his coding prowess, with over 10 years of senior-level experience in the tech industry, has been named the new CEO of DataTrained, a leading higher education edtech platform. His prior role was Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at DataTrained.

Commenting on his appointment, DataTrained founder Janardan Tiwari said, “The board of directors ran an extensive selection process considering all viable options before unanimously deciding to appoint Farhad as the company’s new CEO. He had been my top choice for a while, given his profound understanding of the company and its requirements. During his tenure, Farhad has played an integral role in every critical decision that has helped turn this organisation around. He is inquisitive and rational, creative yet demanding, and exhibits self-awareness and humility in equal measure. His leadership style combines both heart and soul – something I am learning from him every day – earning my trust as CEO to the core.”

Talking about his new role, DataTrained CEO Farhad Khan said, “DataTrained works on the four pillars of education – Quality, Affordability, Reliability, and Employability. We strive to create a tech-based fantastic online pedagogy that supports and builds a skilled workforce backed by strong placement and corporate relations support. The workforce we strive to create will be equipped with the ever-changing demands of the organizations and the challenges of the future. Our commitment can be judged upon our resolves to change and upgrade careers for the future”.