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Tag: CEO

  • Kedaara Capital ropes in Unilever veteran Nitin Paranjpe as chief mentor and operating partner

    Kedaara Capital ropes in Unilever veteran Nitin Paranjpe as chief mentor and operating partner

    MUMBAI: Private equity firm Kedaara Capital has appointed Nitin Paranjpe as chief mentor and operating partner, tapping into the expertise of one of the most seasoned executives in India’s consumer goods sector.
    Paranjpe, who spent nearly four decades at Unilever, brings formidable leadership experience across operations, transformation, and global category management. 

    He began his career at the Anglo-Dutch FMCG giant in 1987 and went on to serve as CEO of Hindustan Unilever from 2008 to 2013—one of its youngest ever—and later held senior global roles including president of home care, president of foods and refreshment, and chief operating officer.

    During his tenure, Paranjpe spearheaded multiple high-impact initiatives, from doubling business performance at HUL, to leading large-scale integrations and driving digitisation at Unilever globally. Most recently, he served as chief people and transformation officer at Unilever, where he led one of the group’s most ambitious restructurings in two decades.

    In his new role, Paranjpe will work closely with Kedaara’s sector teams—especially in consumer and allied verticals—providing operational insight on both existing and prospective investments. He will also advise Kedaara’s senior leadership on strategic initiatives across the firm.

    Paranjpe currently serves as non-executive chairman of HUL, and sits on the boards of global firms including Heineken and Infosys, further underlining the stature he brings to the table.

    His appointment signals Kedaara’s intent to deepen operational value creation as a key lever in its investment thesis across India’s high-growth consumer landscape.

  • Divya Dixit takes the reins at Recz as CEO

    Divya Dixit takes the reins at Recz as CEO

    MUMBAI: Serial growth specialist and former AltBalaji, Z5 and Google Appscale mentor Divya Dixit has taken over as chief executive officer of Recz, a luxury-focused consumertech and social networking platform that recently rolled out its beta version.

    Announcing her new role on LinkedIn, Dixit invited users to “make a profile, play with it, and share brutally honest feedback.” She’s promised to helm Recz with “obsession-worthy execution” and build not just a product but a brand that’s “loved and lived.”

    With over two decades of experience across entertainment, telecom, OTT, and gaming, Dixit has previously held senior roles at AltBalaji (senior vice president, marketing and revenue), Z5, LeEco, and Tata Docomo. She’s also been an advisor to startups in blockchain, metaverse, OTT, and music tech, while currently consulting for One Health Assist.

    As Recz eyes scale in the niche but rising luxury digital segment, Dixit’s entry signals an aggressive play for user growth, community building, and monetisation. Whether Recz becomes the next app obsession may depend on how sharply it can execute under her leadership — and how quickly it tunes in to user vibes

    (If you are an Anime fan and love Anime like Demon Slayer, Spy X Family, Hunter X Hunter, Tokyo Revengers, Dan Da Dan and Slime, Buy your favourite Anime merchandise on AnimeOriginals.com.)

  • Hindustan Unilever appoints Priya Nair as new CEO & MD

    Hindustan Unilever appoints Priya Nair as new CEO & MD

    Mumbai: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has announced the appointment of Priya Nair as its new chief executive officer & managing director, effective 1 August 2025. She will also join the HUL board and remain a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive.

    Nair brings nearly 30 years of experience with Unilever, having held various sales and marketing roles across home care, beauty & wellbeing, and personal care. Her previous roles include executive director, home care, HUL (2014-2020), executive director, beauty & personal care, HUL (2020-2022), and global chief marketing officer, beauty & wellbeing at Unilever. Since 2023, she has served as president of beauty & wellbeing, one of Unilever’s fastest-growing divisions.. She is credited with consistently delivering business transformation through brand building, premiumisation, digital commerce, and purpose-led innovation.

    Rohit Jawa will step down as CEO and MD on 31 July 2025, to pursue new personal and professional endeavours.  Jawa assumed the role in 2023, and during his tenure of over two years, HUL achieved volume-led competitive growth. He also introduced the ‘aspire’ strategy, aimed at transforming the portfolio and channels towards high-growth demand spaces. HUL chairman Nitin Paranjpe thanked  Jawa for his leadership in navigating challenging market conditions and strengthening the company’s foundations.

    The appointment of Nair is subject to shareholder and other necessary statutory approvals. The board meeting to approve these changes commenced at 5:30 pm IST and concluded at 6:25 pm IST on Thursday, 10 July 2025.

  • Ishan Chatterjee steps in as JioStar’s new sports and live experiences boss

    Ishan Chatterjee steps in as JioStar’s new sports and live experiences boss

    MUMBAI: Ishan Chatterjee has been named chief executive – sports and live experiences at JioStar, stepping into the hot seat vacated by Sanjog Gupta, who now helms the International Cricket Council (ICC) as its chief executive officer.

    Chatterjee will continue to juggle his responsibilities as chief business officer – sports revenue, SMB & creators, even as he steers JioStar’s live sports ambitions. He joined the media giant in 2024 (then JioCinema), following a 13-year innings at Google, where he was last managing director of YouTube India.

    A Wharton and St. Stephen’s College, Delhi alum, Chatterjee has done time at McKinsey & Co and Hindustan Unilever.

    With nearly 20 years of skin in the game across media, consulting, and consumer goods, he now takes the pitch at JioStar with a stacked playbook.

  • JioStar top executive Sanjog Gupta named ICC CEO

    JioStar top executive Sanjog Gupta named ICC CEO

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Sanjog Gupta as its new chief executive officer, marking a bold leadership move at a time when cricket is chasing global expansion and Olympic glory. Gupta, currently CEO – sports & live experiences at JioStar, will take charge on from 7 July becoming the seventh CEO in the ICC’s history.

    A media and sports veteran with over two decades of experience, Gupta is widely credited with reshaping India’s sports broadcast landscape. He previously headed Disney Star’s sports business, playing a key role in scaling the IPL, ICC events, and launching leagues such as PKL and ISL. His appointment follows a global recruitment drive that drew over 2,500 applicants from 25 countries.

    ICC chairman Jay Shah said, “Sanjog brings extensive experience in sports strategy and commercialisation, which will be invaluable for the ICC. His deep understanding of the global sports as well as M&E landscape combined with his continued curiosity about the cricket fan’s perspective and passion for technology will prove essential in our ambition to grow the game in the coming years. Our goal is to move beyond traditional boundaries and establish cricket as a regular sport in the Olympics, growing its expanse across the world and deepening its roots in its core markets.

    We considered several exceptional candidates for this position, but the nominations committee unanimously recommended Sanjog. The ICC board directors look forward to working closely with him, and I would like to welcome him on behalf of everyone at the ICC.”

    Gupta’s selection was unanimously recommended by a nominations panel featuring ICC deputy chair Imran Khwaja, ECB chair Richard Thompson, SLC president Shammi Silva, and BCCI honorary secretary Devajit Saikia, before being approved by Shah and ratified by the full ICC board.

    Gupta said he was “honoured” to lead cricket at a pivotal moment. “It is a privilege to have this opportunity, especially at a time when cricket is poised for unprecedented growth and enjoys the passionate support of almost 2 billion fans worldwide. These are exciting times for the sport as marquee events grow in stature, commercial avenues widen and opportunities such as the women’s game scale in popularity. Cricket’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and the rapid acceleration of technology deployment/adoption could act as force-multipliers for the Cricket movement around the world,” he concluded.

    Gupta took over as CEO of JioStar Sports in late 2024 following the Viacom18–Disney Star merger. Known for fusing business savvy with creative storytelling, he championed innovations such as multi-language coverage and digital-first formats — especially around women’s sports.

    The ICC, under his leadership, will now look to script cricket’s next global chapter.

  • WPP boss Mark Read to sign off at year-end after 30-year ad-venture

    WPP boss Mark Read to sign off at year-end after 30-year ad-venture

    MUMBAI: WPP plc has just hit ‘next’ on its leadership playlist. The British ad giant announced that long-time chief executive officer Mark Read will hang up his boots and step down from the board on 31 December 2025, marking the end of a 30-year run—including a high-octane seven-year stint steering the ship as CEO. The search for his successor is already underway.

    WPP chair  Philip Jansen, heaped praise on Read’s legacy, hailing him as a transformational force. “On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Mark for his contributions not only as CEO but throughout his more than 30 years of leadership and service to the Company. During that time Mark has played a central role in transforming the Company into a world leader in modern marketing services, with deep AI, data and technology capabilities, global presence and unrivalled creative talent, setting WPP up well for longer-term success,” said Jansen.” We are pleased that Mark will continue to lead WPP as CEO until the end of the year, remaining focused on the execution of the Company’s growth strategy and supporting a smooth transition to his successor, once appointed.”

    In a heartfelt sign-off, Read said leading WPP had been “an immense privilege.” When he took the reins in 2018, his mission was to simplify the business, power up its creative engines, and plug it into cutting-edge tech. By most accounts, he’s delivered.

    Said Read: “WPP is an incredible company with over 100,000 talented and creative people, wonderful clients and partners, and an unmatched presence around the world. It has been an immense privilege to serve as its CEO for the past seven years.

    “When I took on this role our mission was to build a simpler, stronger business, and put structure and new energy behind our creativity and performance, powered by world-leading technology. I am proud that our teams across the business have delivered that exceptionally well. Our clients today rate us more highly than ever before, we now work with four of the world’s five most valuable companies, and our revenues with our biggest clients have grown consistently.

    “Our business starts with creativity, and I was delighted for our teams that last year we were once again named Creative Company of the Year at Cannes Lions. We have also positioned WPP at the forefront of the industry with our investments in AI and, with the full launch of WPP Open this year, we are now leading the way as AI transforms marketing. We have an exceptional leadership team and a secure financial position that allows us to face the future confidently and capture the opportunities ahead.

    “After seven years in the role, and with the foundations in place for WPP’s continued success, I feel it is the right time to hand over the leadership of this amazing company. I am excited to explore the next chapter in my life and can only thank all the brilliant people I have been lucky enough to work with over the last 30 years, and who have made possible the enormous progress we have achieved together. I would also like to thank Phil and the rest of the Board for their steadfast support for me and the wider executive team, and I look forward to supporting them in the transition to my successor in the coming months.”

    WPP now works with four of the world’s five most valuable companies, and its largest clients are spending more than ever. He also gave a nod to WPP Open, the firm’s AI-powered platform, calling it a game-changer that’s keeping WPP ahead of the curve as artificial intelligence rewrites the rules of marketing.

    “I feel it is the right time to hand over the leadership of this amazing company,” said Read. “We’ve built the foundations for future success, and I look forward to exploring the next chapter in my life.”

    WPP, which employs over 100,000 people across the globe, is now on the hunt for a new commander-in-chief to build on Read’s digital-first, AI-fuelled momentum.

    The Mad Men era is long gone—WPP 2.0 is ready for its next act.

  • Bryan Batista to take flight as Skyscanner’s next CEO, succeeding John Mangelaars

    Bryan Batista to take flight as Skyscanner’s next CEO, succeeding John Mangelaars

    MUMBAI: Skyscanner has named Bryan Batista as its next chief executive officer, effective 1 June 2025. Batista, who currently serves as chief operating officer, will succeed John Mangelaars, who departs after a four-and-a-half-year stint steering the global travel platform through a period of rapid growth and diversification.

    The leadership transition comes as Skyscanner records double-digit growth across flights, accommodation, and car hire, while expanding aggressively into high-growth markets such as India. The company currently serves over 160 million users each month across 180 countries and 37 languages, offering access to more than 1,200 partners in flights, hotels, and car rentals. Rail and package travel offerings have also been added in select markets.

    Mangelaars said, “After four and a half incredible years, I am stepping down as CEO and passing the baton to Bryan. The company is in a great position, and I feel that now is the right time for me personally to make this change and pursue new ventures. I have enormous confidence in Bryan’s leadership and determination to take Skyscanner forward in the next stage of its ambitious growth”.

    Batista joined Skyscanner in January 2024. Prior to that, he led Rentalcars.com and served as SVP of the Trips division at Booking.com, after an earlier leadership stint at Tesla. Since joining Skyscanner, Batista has played a key role in shaping and executing the company’s long-term strategy, which involves scanning 100 billion prices daily to help travellers plan their trips with greater ease and confidence.

    “We built Skyscanner because we are travel geeks at heart”, Batista said. “We love the thrill of exploring new places and we hate the pain of planning. Since joining Skyscanner, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with our incredible teams and travel partners. Stepping into this role is a dream. I get to lead a company that is on a mission to become the world’s number one travel ally”.

    With new products, smarter tools, and category expansions in motion, Batista’s elevation signals a continued focus on making travel discovery more intuitive and rewarding for users worldwide.

  • Jain Amar stitches a new chapter with Akhil Jain as MD & CEO

    Jain Amar stitches a new chapter with Akhil Jain as MD & CEO

    MUMBAI: In the fast-paced world of fashion, it takes more than just good tailoring to survive—it takes a visionary with the swagger of a brand builder and the precision of a CFO. Jain Amar, the powerhouse behind Madame, Camla Barcelona, and Msecret, just handed the reins to one such sharp dresser: Akhil Jain. As of April 2025, he takes over as MD & CEO.

    And this isn’t a ceremonial title change tucked into an HR memo. It’s a strategic style reboot. The announcement came hot off the ramp at the Jain Amar Leadership Summit 2025, attended by the top 25 leaders including board members and HODs. The agenda? Growth, governance, and getting IPO-ready by 2027. No pressure.

    Akhil is no rookie parachuted in for optics. A scion of the promoter family and a NIFT alum with an executive toolkit from IIM-A and Harvard, he’s been grinding across the brand’s verticals for over 20 years. Until now, he served as executive director, overseeing brand strategy, tech integration and retail reinvention—basically turning buzzwords into bottom lines.

    In his new role, Akhil is tasked with driving growth across online and offline channels, creating a unified brand voice, and embedding DAR (Decision-Action-Responsibility) frameworks across operations. Oh, and let’s not forget tighter budget controls and investing in people power.

    “This is not just a new role—it’s a new rhythm. We’re moving from isolated departments to a single unified movement. I believe Jain Amar’s next era will be defined by how well we align people, process, and purpose. I’m grateful for the trust placed in me and excited to lead this extraordinary team into the future,” said Akhil.

    The board, for its part, seems anything but nervous. Instead, they called Akhil’s elevation “timely”, especially in a landscape where fashion brands are juggling digital disruption, fickle consumer behaviour, and the existential crisis known as AI.

    With an IPO on the horizon and a generational leader at the wheel, Jain Amar is clearly done playing dress-up. Now, it’s game on.

  • Intel chips in with new boss: Veteran semiconductor maestro Tan takes the reins

    Intel chips in with new boss: Veteran semiconductor maestro Tan takes the reins

    MUMBAI:  The Silicon Valley giant that’s been looking for a permanent captain has finally found its new helmsman, as Intel Corp yesterday announced semiconductor veteran Lip-Bu Tan will slide into the chief executive’s chair effective 18 March.

    The appointment ends months of boardroom musical chairs at the chip-making behemoth, with Tan succeeding interim co-CEOs David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus.

    Zinsner will remain executive vice president and chief financial officer, and Johnston Holthaus will remain CEO of Intel Products. 

    Frank D. Yeary, who took on the role of interim executive chair of the board during the search for a new CEO, will revert to being the independent chair of the board upon Tan getting his feet under the corner office’s desk.
     
    “Lip-Bu is an exceptional leader whose technology industry expertise, deep relationships across the product and foundry ecosystems, and proven track record of creating shareholder value is exactly what Intel needs in its next CEO,” Yeary said. “Throughout his long and distinguished career, he has earned a reputation as an innovator who puts customers at the heart of everything he does, delivers differentiated solutions to win in the market and builds high-performance cultures to achieve success.

    “Like many across the industry, I have worked closely with Lip-Bu in the past and have seen firsthand how his relentless attention to customers drives innovation and success,” Yeary continued. “We are delighted to have Lip-Bu as our CEO as we work to accelerate our turnaround and capitalise on the significant growth opportunities ahead.”

    The 63-year-old Singapore-born executive, who previously served on Intel’s board before stepping down last August, brings over two decades of semiconductor foreplay to a company desperately seeking to regain its mojo.

    A  longtime technology investor, he has deep relationships across Intel’s ecosystem, having served as CEO Cadence Design Systems from 2009 to 2021, where he led a reinvention of the company and drove a cultural transformation centered on customer-centric innovation. During his time as CEO, Cadence more than doubled its revenue, expanded operating margins and delivered a stock price appreciation of more than 3,200 per cent. 
    Tan served as a member of the Cadence board of directors for 19 years, from his appointment in 2004 through his service as executive chairman from 2021 to 2023 following his tenure as CEO.

    “I am honoured to join Intel as CEO,” said Tan.”I see significant opportunities to remake our business in ways that serve our customers better and create value for our shareholders.”

    “Intel has a powerful and differentiated computing platform, a vast customer installed base and a robust manufacturing footprint that is getting stronger by the day as we rebuild our process technology roadmap,” Tan continued. “I am eager to join the company and build upon the work the entire Intel team has been doing to position our business for the future.”

    Intel’s shares jumped four per cent on the announcement, as investors bet that Tan – who holds a nuclear engineering Master’s from MIT and a physics degree from Nanyang Technological University – has the technical chops to help the company reclaim its crown from rivals like Nvidia and AMD.

  • Britannia CEO Rajneet Kohli resigns after 2.5-year tenure

    Britannia CEO Rajneet Kohli resigns after 2.5-year tenure

    MUMBAI: Britannia Industries Limited has announced the resignation of chief executive officer and executive director Rajneet Singh Kohli, who will depart the company on 14 March  2025.

    In a regulatory filing, the company stated that Kohli submitted his resignation on 5 March  to “pursue an opportunity outside Britannia.” The board of directors accepted and approved his resignation through a circular resolution passed on 6 March.

    Kohli, who joined Britannia in September 2022, has led the Rs 17,000 crore (USD 2 billion) FMCG giant through a period of significant transformation, overseeing the company’s expansion into new food and beverage categories.

    Under his leadership, Britannia’s market capitalisation increased 1.5 times, adding approximately INR 50,000 crore in shareholder value. During his tenure, Kohli spearheaded several key initiatives, including a large-scale distribution transformation project and the establishment of a digital & data analytics council to implement AI and automation across the business.

    The 130-year-old company, known for its biscuits, bread, cakes, and dairy products, reaches over 200 million Indian households through a complex supply chain network comprising 90 factories, 900 vendors, and 4,000 distributors.

    Before joining Britannia, Kohli served more than four years at Jubilant FoodWorks, which operates Domino’s Pizza in India. As president and chief Business officer, he oversaw Domino’s transformation into a food-tech company with 1,700+ stores across 380 cities. During his time at Domino’s, online orders grew from 54 per cent  to over 98 per cent , and the business expanded its store network by more than 700 locations.

    Kohli’s career also includes nearly 14 years at The Coca-Cola Company, where he rose to senior vice president for north, west, and central India, and head of the premium products division for India. Earlier in his career, he worked at Asian Paints for over five years in various sales and operations roles.

    Britannia Industries has not yet announced Kohli’s successor.