Marketing maven climbs the Kotak ladder with promotional panache

MUMBAI: Kanchi Parekh has ascended to vice president marketing at Kotak Mahindra Bank, capping a three-year climb through the private banking heavyweight’s ranks. The April 2025 promotion marks another conquest in her decade-plus march through India’s most competitive financial services sector.

Parekh’s CV reads like a masterclass in brand warfare. Her journey began at Peacock Media (2008-2010), cutting teeth on client management and retail campaigns. A stint at The Indian Express honed her event orchestration skills before the real breakthrough at DHFL, where she managed portfolios worth Rs 89-107 crores whilst delivering a jaw-dropping 458 per cent lift in enquiries and 1,377 per cent increase through direct CRM.

At ItzCash Card, India’s pioneering prepaid card entity, she commanded Rs 6 crores across 65,000 franchisees. Her insurance sector mastery crystallised at Future Generali and HDFC ERGO, where she crafted “always-on” marketing strategies spanning retail, bancassurance, and digital channels. SBI General Insurance elevated her to team lead, polishing her multi-channel expertise.

Kotak clearly spotted a thoroughbred when it hired Parekh as deputy vice president in February 2022. Her swift promotion suggests the investment paid handsome dividends. In an era of soaring customer acquisition costs, having a marketing strategist who navigates B2C and B2B2C channels with equal aplomb is worth its weight in rupees.

Her skill set resembles a marketing Swiss Army knife: campaign management, digital strategy, public relations, employer branding, and analytics—all backed by proven agency management abilities. As India’s financial services sector digitises rapidly, Kotak appears to have secured a marketing general capable of commanding campaigns across every conceivable channel.

For Parekh, vice president represents not just career progression, but validation of a strategy that’s seen her master every major financial vertical whilst building Mumbai’s most versatile marketing reputation.

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