Tag: appointment

  • Shemaroo Entertainment appoints A Chakravarty as COO; K Gada becomes president- new business opportunities

    Shemaroo Entertainment appoints A Chakravarty as COO; K Gada becomes president- new business opportunities

    Mumbai: Shemaroo Entertainment has appointed Arghya Chakravarty as chief operating officer. Kranti Gada has been named president-new business opportunities.

    Chakravarty will be spearheading the overall business operations of Shemaroo and will work with CEO Hiren Gada and the senior management team to implement the strategic vision and values of the firm. His primary focus will be to scale and steer Shemaroo’s numerous business verticals.

    Chakravarty’s previous stint was with Disney Star where he was EVP – ad sales, entertainment business. In a career spanning close to three decades, he has held various leadership positions in different sectors across a gamut of reputed organisations like Times Innovative Media, PepsiCo, and Asian Paints.

    Moreover, Gada in her role as the COO was instrumental in transforming the organisation from a B2B entity to a successful B2C brand. Under her able leadership, the organisation has launched various initiatives such as a robust broadcast network, an OTT platform, and several digital initiatives. She will now pass on the baton to Arghya. As president of new business opportunities, Kranti will focus on her passion and strengths to identify & build new business opportunities for the organisation.

    Shemaroo Entertainment’s CEO Hiren Gada said, “In the last four years, Kranti and I have laid the foundation to build a strong, scalable, and professionally run organisation. I firmly believe that Arghya with his proven track record, expertise, and extensive experience is an ideal fit to attain Shemaroo’s ambitions. I welcome him to the Shemaroo family and wish him all the best.”

    Shemaroo Entertainment president-new business opportunities Kranti Gada said, “We are thrilled to have Arghya join us at this juncture as we are celebrating 60 years of Shemaroo. Aligned with our vision, he brings with him deep domain expertise and he can steer our company’s growth exponentially. With his three decades of experience with leading brands, I am confident that Arghya will help us scale new heights with a strong focus on B2C initiatives while staying true to our vision and core values.”

    “I am excited to come on board with Shemaroo, which has been a household name for entertainment in India for 60 years,” said Chakravarty. “I have been watching Shemaroo for the past few years and have been a great admirer of the way Hiren, Kranti, and the team have reinvented the businesses. They have kept the brand relevant to meet the modern consumer’s tastes and moods. I look forward to further build and expand the business across platforms to create even more compelling value for the brand and our loyal consumers.”

    Chakravarty completed his Bachelors in Electronics and Communication from Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, which was followed by a Post-Graduation in Marketing Management from IIM-Calcutta.

  • Warner Bros. Discovery announces South Asia leadership team

    Warner Bros. Discovery announces South Asia leadership team

    Mumbai: Warner Bros. Discovery has unveiled its new leadership team for South Asia. The business is led locally by a general manager – South Asia Arjun Nohwar and includes brands such as Discovery, HGTV, Eurosport, Cartoon Network, POGO, Discovery Kids, DC, and the discovery+ streaming service.

    Ruchir Jain has been named head of distribution & Eurosport and heads up the integrated network distribution function. Jain led the finance team at Discovery Network from 2018 to 2021, and then distribution. He continues to lead the Eurosport channel.

    Tanaz Mehta has been appointed as head of ad sales, tasked with growing revenues across all networks in South Asia. Mehta is a seasoned sales leader with deep expertise and a nuanced understanding of the market.

    Uttam Pal Singh will head the kids’ cluster and is tasked with developing a compelling content strategy for growth. In his previous capacity at Discovery Kids, Singh led the team behind successful original IPs, including Little Singham and Fukrey Boyzzz. The combined kids portfolio now includes Cartoon Network and POGO, in addition to Discovery Kids.

    Sai Abhishek was named head of the factual and lifestyle cluster and will be responsible for delivering growth and profitability across the genre. Sai comes with a strong background of leading original productions, programming, and acquisitions.

    “With this exceptional new-look team, Warner Bros. Discovery is well-positioned to achieve our ambition of being the leading and most dynamic media company in the region,” said Nohwar. “All our leaders are looking forward to working closely together across divisions as one united team.”

    Nohwar also paid tribute to two outgoing executives who will be exiting the organisation. Rohit Khetarpal will be leaving the company after 14 years, having been a key member of the legacy WarnerMedia and Turner network distribution team. Abhishek Dutta also departs, having led the legacy WarnerMedia Kids team in South Asia, including programming strategy, acquisitions and original production.

    Other lines of business, shared services and corporate functions that support the wider region will be announced at a later date.

    The new company combines WarnerMedia’s premium entertainment, sports and news assets with Discovery’s leading non-fiction and international entertainment & sports businesses.

  • Havas Group India forays into Eastern India; collaborates with Kolkata-based agency QED

    Havas Group India forays into Eastern India; collaborates with Kolkata-based agency QED

    Mumbai: Paris-headquartered global advertising conglomerate Havas Group India has announced its foray into eastern India through a strategic tie-up between Havas Worldwide India and Kolkata-based digital marketing agency Quite Easily Done (QED).

    The new entity, Havas QED, will partner with Havas Creative Group India, which has agencies, including Havas Worldwide India (creative), Havas CX (customer experience), Think Design (UI/UX), Conran Design Group Mumbai (design) and Shobiz (experiential). The agency will be led by QED founder & CEO Anisha Singh Motwani who will report to Havas Worldwide India (Creative) managing director Manas Lahiri. This collaboration aims to further drive the creative and digital excellence of Havas Creative Group India, the group stated.   

    Havas Group India has been strengthening and expanding its core products over the last three years through acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances.  To add to this momentum, Havas Group India is now expanding its geographical footprint in India, with eastern India as the next stop to pursue potential opportunities.

    Talking about the expansion, Havas Group India Group CEO Rana Barua stated, “Over the previous two years, we went from three to 10 companies through acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances, adding agencies such as Conran Design Group, Havas CX, Think Design, and Shobiz Havas under the creative umbrella. Media saw the addition of verticals including Havas Content, Havas Sports and Entertainment, Havas Market, and a strategic alliance with Tribes. This has resulted in tremendous growth and has propelled our reputation in the industry. Eastern India, without a doubt, offers unexplored commercial potential. This strategic alliance, I believe, is the first resolute step in the market and opens the door to the possibility of our fourth village in India, in the future.”

    “We’ve been working with Anisha and the QED team for the past two years, and she’s one of the most promising entrepreneurs in India,” said Manas Lahiri. “This partnership is the best cultural fit for us, and I’m certain that our collaboration will help us add many new clients and write a new chapter in our growth journey,” he further added.

    Founded in 2015, QED specialises in crafting captivating brand stories through content, design, creative communication, social media marketing strategies, SMS and email business communication, digital advertising, SEO, and paid search advertisements. The agency handles a wide range of clients including Nicco Park, The Park Hotels, Flurys, Heritage Dining, Indo-British Scholars Association, and many others. With over 15 years of experience in marketing, Motwani’s strength and forte lies in brand-building. She has been featured by Entrepreneurs of India in their #StartupStories feature in 2019, and in the Leading Women Entrepreneurs of India 2020 by Insights Success. Recognised as one of the most influential businesswomen of the year 2022 by Innovative Zone, she was also awarded the Woman Entrepreneur Award in 2022 by Great Companies.

    QED CEO & founder Anisha Singh Motwani stated, “Our collaboration with Havas Worldwide India has been moving from strength to strength.  This strategic alliance is an organic step towards further strengthening our partnership with the agency. I am confident that we will continue to deliver ground-breaking work together.”

  • Shobhit Gaur joins Madison Digital as VP

    Shobhit Gaur joins Madison Digital as VP

    Mumbai: Madison World’s digital unit, Madison Digital, has announced the return of Shobhit Gaur as vice president. Gaur will report to Madison Digital & Madison Media Alpha CEO Vishal Chinchankar.

    Gaur has over 14 years of experience in various facets of the digital world including ROI, business development, data science, integrated, online, mobile and performance marketing, social media, brand planning, digital strategy and analytics. He joins the agency after a brief stint with PHD. In addition to PHD, he has also worked at MEC, Interactive Avenues, Starcom – Mediavest Group and Omnicom. He holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the Delhi University, a master’s degree in business administration from Sydenham Institute of Management, Mumbai and an IT diploma from National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT).

    Madison Digital & Madison Media Alpha CEO Vishal Chinchankar said, “We’re glad to have Shobhit back on board. Having worked with various categories, he brings a wealth of experience to Madison. I am confident that we will be able to take our work to the next level with new business and continue to delight existing clients.”

    Says Gaur on rejoining Madison, “I am excited to be returning to Madison Digital and look forward to contributing to the organisation in my new role and responsibilities. Madison Digital offers me exciting challenges and opportunities as I look forward to unlocking our clients’ growth with data, technology, and talent.”

  • Abhishek Kumar joins Balaji Telefilms as Group CEO

    Abhishek Kumar joins Balaji Telefilms as Group CEO

    Mumbai: Balaji Telefilms on Wednesday announced the appointment of Abhishek Kumar as group chief executive officer.

    Kumar was ssociated with private equity fund Jupiter Capital, wherein he was working as the COO & general partner of the new funds of the group. Before Jupiter Capital, Kumar was running a venture capital network, at Rainforest Venture Network as managing partner. He was also an advisor and partner to multiple family offices for technology and consumer investments.

    Balaji Telefilms managing director Shobha Kapoor said, “We are pleased to have Abhishek as group CEO, and are confident that he is the right person to lead Balaji to the next stage of growth and value creation. He is a seasoned leader with a stellar leadership reputation. The Indian media sector is undergoing massive change which also creates enormous opportunities for us at Balaji, and Abhishek will lead the efforts with the rest of the team, to seize these opportunities and create value for all our stakeholders.”

    Balaji Telefilms group CEO Abhishek Kumar said, “I am of the view that content will continue to remain a key & exciting space irrespective of the platform and value is being attributed to creators of content. Hence, at Balaji, I believe that I can add significant value through my experience in business strategy, M&A, operations and investing in technology and media.”

    Kumar comes with a rich experience of over 20 years of experience in business strategy, M&A, operations and investing in technology and media. He has been associated with renowned brands like Rainforest Ventures, Snapdeal, TV18 Broadcast Limited, and NDTV.

    At Balaji, Kumar will be responsible for the overall growth and success of the group.

  • BBH India names George Sebastian as executive creative director

    BBH India names George Sebastian as executive creative director

    Mumbai: BBH India, a Publicis Groupe agency, has announced the appointment of George Sebastian as executive creative director. He will report to BBH India’s chief creative officer & CEO Russell Barrett and lead a team of copy, art and design professionals.

    Sebastian brings with him 14 years of experience. In the past, he has been associated with Enormous Brands, Grey Group and most recently he was senior creative director at DDB Mudra. Sebastian has worked on brands like Gillette, Tanishq, Glance, Dell, McDowell’s No 1, Britannia, TTK Prestige, 3M and TicTac, helping them unlock their purpose and ambition.

    Sebastian was also part of the team that pitched, won and conceptualised an integrated campaign – India’s most exciting workplace for the Indian Army that led to a major shift in the way the youth perceive the armed forces, according to the agency.

    Welcoming Sebastian on board, BBH India CCO & CEO Russell Barrett said, “George is an exceptionally talented creative individual who is also incredibly versatile. He’s as comfortable working on a 30-second commercial as he is on an AR idea. He’s as gifted at his craft when he’s writing in Hindi and English. He’s a mature creative leader who is as driven as the hungriest first-jobber. We’ve got the ‘all-inclusive-package’ with George and I’m certain he’s going to produce extremely famous, relevant and modern work for BBH India.”

    George Sebastian added, “There are a few things at the core of this celebrated agency, and network at large, that strongly resonate with me. Whether it is an unabashed love for ideas, a robust culture of expression and debate, or the wonderful team of Good and Nice folks one gets to learn from. BBH is bubbling with opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working closely with Russell and all-black sheep to explode its massive potential.”

  • Raymond appoints Atul Singh as EVP, to lead the Group

    Raymond appoints Atul Singh as EVP, to lead the Group

    MUMBAI: Textile, apparel, retail & real estate conglomerate, Raymond has announced the appointment of Atul Singh to lead the Group. As Raymond is gearing to mark its centenary year in 2025, the company is on a transformation journey by strengthening its leadership by bringing diverse experience on board, it said in a statement.

    The nomination and remuneration committee of Raymond has recommended Singh’s appointment as executive vice-chairman to the Board of Raymond Ltd subject to and post securing necessary regulatory clearances.

    Singh comes with diversified experience of over 35 years of leading multi-billion dollar businesses across several geographies globally. Singh worked at Coca-Cola for about two decades in several senior leadership positions and concluded his journey there as chairman of Asia Pacific and spearheaded businesses across 25 countries. 

    Before joining Coca-Cola, Singh worked at Colgate-Palmolive for 10 years where he held several leadership positions globally. His last stint at Colgate-Palmolive was country manager, Nigeria.

    Commenting on the appointment, Raymond chairman & managing director Gautam Hari Singhania said, “I have always believed in the philosophy of demarcating ownership and management that brings in global expertise & good governance. Raymond is at an inflection point and has embarked upon the journey to be a future-ready organisation to achieve profitable growth and value unlocking. As we are headed to complete 100 years of our existence, strong leadership for the organisation will propel us to scale up our businesses both in domestic and global markets. With his impeccable track record, I am confident that Atul will lend his expertise for Raymond to sustain and grow in each of the businesses we operate.”

    In his new role, Singh said “Raymond is one of the most reputed home-grown brands from India and has enormous growth potential. It is very exciting to be part of the transformation journey and lead the organisation to its centenary year. I look forward to contribute and chart out a growth path for the organisation and shareholder value creation.”

  • Myntra’s Achint Setia joins Zalora Singapore as chief revenue & marketing officer

    Myntra’s Achint Setia joins Zalora Singapore as chief revenue & marketing officer

    Mumbai: Myntra CXO and head of marketing & social commerce business Achint Setia has announced he is moving on from his current role at the fashion e-commerce major. He has joined fashion e-retailer Zalora Singapore as chief revenue & marketing officer. Setia took to LinkedIn to make the announcement. At Zalora, he leads the revenue and profit & loss for the regional cluster along with driving the marketing function for the group. 

    Earlier in January this year, Flipkart-owned fashion e-commerce platform Myntra had promoted Achint Setia to the position of marketing and social commerce business head. In this role, Setia was responsible for building the Myntra brand, loyalty program (insider), user growth, content-led commerce, and live commerce businesses. He was previously the vice president and business head – social commerce at the fashion portal, having joined it in August 2018.

    Setia has business building expertise in consumer tech and media with cross-functional experience across marketing, operations, strategy, content, product development, and analytics.

    Before joining Myntra, he worked with companies like McKinsey & Co, Microsoft R&D, and Viacom18 Media.  

    An alumnus of Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, as well as the Indian School of Business, Setia also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from NSIT.

  • CoinDCX appoints Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy & government affairs

    CoinDCX appoints Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy & government affairs

    MUMBAI: Crypto company CoinDCX has strengthened its senior leadership team by appointing Kiran Vivekananda as chief of public policy and government affairs to lead the company’s public policy and government affairs initiatives. In his new role, Vivekananda will lead CoinDCX’s Public Policy function, working closely with regulators and industry stakeholders and helping drive a positive narrative for the crypto industry in India.

    Vivekananda joins CoinDCX from Dream Sports Inc, where he was the chief policy officer and was responsible for driving advocacy efforts for the online gaming industry. He comes in with the rich experience of over two decades. Earlier, he worked with Uber India, HCL Infosystems, to name a few.

    CoinDCX co-founder & CEO Sumit Gupta said, “We are delighted to have Kiran lead our public policy portfolio. Kiran’s deep expertise in developing public policy strategies will strengthen our efforts to push the Indian crypto industry mandate and represent the industry at relevant forums”.

    Speaking on the appointment, Vivekananda said, “I look forward to working towards supporting a progressive policy and regulatory environment for the crypto industry”. He further added, “The Indian VDA market is the second-largest in the world and I believe that this presents a tremendous opportunity for India to lead the world in the technology-driven digital innovation in the crypto/ Web 3.0 space. I will leverage my experience in addressing concerns of regulators and in driving positive narratives/use cases of the crypto/blockchain technology”.

    According to CoinDCX, it continues to strengthen its talent pool and is hiring across functions as it continues to build innovative products and services for the users. Safety and compliance continue to take centre stage as the company is committed to doubling down its efforts in the Indian market. CoinDCX has been working closely with all stakeholders who can help position crypto in the mainstream of India’s digital economy.

     

  • Digitas India bags digital communication mandate for Matter

    Digitas India bags digital communication mandate for Matter

    Mumbai: A vertically integrated product tech start-up, Ahmedabad-based Matter has appointed Digitas India as the agency for its digital communication mandate following a multi-agency and multi-phased pitch process. 

    Digitas will handle Matter’s digital marketing mandate, the scope for which will encompass communications, media, customer experience & digital assets and community engagement across its mobility and energy business verticals.

    The Matter e-motorcycle will be introduced in the second half of 2022. According to Matter, the yet-unnamed motorcycle will be the first electric two-wheeler in the country to have a battery pack with active liquid cooling. While there aren’t many specifics about this brand-new bike at this moment, it will be released in the third quarter of 2022.

    Commenting on the association with Digitas India, Matter COO & co-founder Arun Pratap Singh said, “At Matter, we are embarking on a journey to revolutionise electric mobility and energy storage space. Our innovative offerings will be represented through highly creative digital marketing and we’re glad to have partnered with Digitas, as they follow the philosophy of thinking new and leveraging the creative nuances to deliver highly compelling digital innovations, we are excited to start this journey with Digitas India by connecting with our customers creatively and helping them to transition to clean energy.”

    Welcoming Matter to its fold, Digitas India COO Sonia Khurana said, “It is our privilege to partner with Matter and to introduce the brand and product in the market. It is exciting to be a partner to the brand right from the incubation stage itself of the product. Our aim will be to stay true to our connected marketing philosophy and use the right mix of insight-driven creativity, technology, and media to drive brand love and adoption.” 

    Since its inception, Matter has invested extensively in technology development with the “Innovate in India” approach for the development of futuristic electric vehicle platforms and for energy storage applications.