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Tag: industry veteran

  • AFAA confers ‘Honorary Life Member’ status on Ramesh Narayan

    AFAA confers ‘Honorary Life Member’ status on Ramesh Narayan

    Mumbai: The executive committee of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations has unanimously decided to confer the Honorary Life Member Award on industry doyen Ramesh Narayan.

    Reacting to the announcement Narayan said, ” I accept this recognition with humility. I am grateful to all those who helped me serve the industry in various capacities all these years. Most importantly I am blessed to have been able to build strong relationships around the world due to these industry associations”.

    AFAA chairman Srinivasan Swamy said, “This honour is but a small token of appreciation for the tireless work Narayan has put in for 23 years to build AFAA as a strong industry body across Asia.  He has been the go-to person for anything that required thinking. Ramesh is known for his integrity, truthfulness and his ability to communicate effectively on anything that is given to him. And he has a unique way of making friends and influencing people”.

    The nomination of Narayan describes him as a person who has selflessly served AFAA and shaped many strategies that have held AFAA in good stead as a relevant industry body.

    It also describes his role in other associations like the International Advertising Association where as the area director APAC he endeared himself to all the chapters in the region. He is also credited with conceiving the widely acclaimed Olive Crown Awards.

    In 2021 Narayan was inducted into the AFAA Hall of Fame. He has also been honoured with the AFAA Special Merit Award at the AdAsia Bali.

    He has been inducted into the IAA India Chapter Hall of Fame, has been recognised as a global champion by the IAA at its Inspire Awards in London, and is the recipient of the IAA Honorary Membership Compass Award.

    He was a part of a three-person Supreme Court-nominated committee to monitor government advertising in India.

    He always believes that what is good, is good for business and is a strong advocate of using communication as a force for good.

  • Jio Haptik brings in Prashant Rao as SVP – customer value & experience

    Jio Haptik brings in Prashant Rao as SVP – customer value & experience

    Mumbai: Jio Haptik Technologies, a conversational AI company and a subsidiary of Reliance Jio Platforms, has brought Prashant Rao on board as senior vice president of customer value and experience. He will serve as the leader for the pre-sales/sales engineering, professional services, and customer success groups to drive consistent, frictionless value-driven outcomes in the customer journey.

    In this role, Rao will spearhead the newly formed customer value and experience business unit, a cohesive organisation responsible for end-to-end customer onboarding and experience with a singular focus on maximising success, said the statement.

    Rao comes with over 20 years of technology experience and has served with several prominent organisations across B2B SaaS, AI/ML, conversational AI, speech technologies, and GRC. Prior to Haptik, he was the leader for global services and customer success at Uniphore and also at MetricStream, working in multiple leadership roles and scaling the company’s business for close to a decade. 

    Leveraging his sharp technical skills and extensive experience, Rao made his way up the corporate ladder and even served with tech giants like Microsoft, Intel, and ANSR Consulting during the early part of his career, said the statement.

    “Haptik’s customer value and experience function has been set up with a key element of our mission to become even more customer-centric than ever. Prashant has a proven record of success in both startups and large tech companies and his arrival marks a critical moment in Haptik’s growth journey,” said Haptik co-founder and CEO Aakrit Vaish. “I am confident that under his leadership, this group will be instrumental in driving customer delight across the depth and breadth of Haptik’s product portfolio to steer us towards becoming a global leader in the conversational AI economy.”

    Over the years, Rao has played the role of a trusted advisor to customers and scaled high-performance teams to drive phenomenal business outcomes of SaaS product-led businesses. Being a startup champion and advisor, he is a known leader in the startup ecosystem of India and is well-revered in the digital transformation technology industry, which has helped him earn valuable experiences during his time in the field collaborating with customers and partners globally.

    Speaking on the appointment, Prashant Rao said, “What co-founders Aakrit and Swapan have created in Haptik is truly special, embracing a growth-oriented work culture at the organization supported by the fueling energy of the team. I would look forward to building on this momentum and bolstering the vision of being the global category leader in the conversational economy and AI/ML technology.”

  • Viacom 18’s Jyoti Deshpande appointed as co-chair of FICCI media & entertainment board

    Viacom 18’s Jyoti Deshpande appointed as co-chair of FICCI media & entertainment board

    Mumbai: FICCI on Monday announced the appointment of Viacom 18 Media CEO Jyoti Deshpande as the co-chair of the FICCI media and entertainment board. This is the first time that a woman executive from the media industry has been appointed as one of the office bearers of this very important vertical.  

    Deshpande is an industry veteran with over 29 years of experience across the country’s foremost media and entertainment companies. She pioneered Eros’ early entry into the OTT space (through Eros Now) and established Jio Studios as a key player in the entertainment value chain. She is currently serving as the CEO of Viacom18, making her the first woman to lead a big-four media and entertainment company.

    She has featured among Fortune India as well as Business Today’s 50 Most Powerful Women in Business lists, both of which celebrate the journeys and triumphs of women who not only impact their organisation but are also thought leaders in their industry.

     “FICCI has always been at the forefront of collaborating with various stakeholders across Indian commerce and the government to effect meaningful policy discussions and adoption,” commented FICCI director general Arun Chawla. “Given the very dynamic nature of the media and entertainment industry, this engagement is crucial for the development of the sector and the allied ecosystems. Jyoti’s experience across the value chain of this industry makes her an apt choice to lead the Committee’s holistic advisory agenda. I look forward to working with her.”

    “I feel truly fortunate to be part of an industry that is at the cusp of phenomenal growth, straddling traditional theatres to the metaverse and everything in between like television and OTT,” said Jyoti Deshpande. “I look forward to working with industry captains, custodians of brands that fuel consumption in our economy and the government as we look to leverage the confluence of technology, content and distribution to move the needle rapidly towards the $100 billion industry that we have been aspiring to be for a number of years now.”

    “The M&E industry can very much be a true embodiment of the ‘Make in India and Show the World’ mantra and I thank Sanjiv Mehta and FICCI for offering me this platform to meaningfully collaborate on shaping the future of an industry that I have invested my whole life in and am very passionate about,” she further said.

    FICCI media and entertainment board drives the media and entertainment committee. It counts promoters and CEOs of the media and entertainment industry across verticals like TV and radio broadcast, film production and exhibition, print, animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, AR/VR/MR (AVGC-XR), entertainment events, OOH etc. It remains at the forefront for policy changes towards the growth and development of the media and entertainment industry in India.

  • Industry veteran Prasoon Kumar joins Arzooo as VP-strategy

    Industry veteran Prasoon Kumar joins Arzooo as VP-strategy

    Mumbai: Consumer electronics veteran Prasoon Kumar has joined B2B commerce platform Arzooo as vice president, strategy. Kumar has been at the forefront of leading distribution, sales and channel strategy for some of India’s largest white goods brands.

    At Arzooo, Kumar’s charter will be to drive the company’s expansion and reach into the breadth and width of the country with mid to long term strategy and bringing strategic partnerships on it’s mission to power offline retail with technology and financial capability and making them competitive and scalable, said the statement.

    In his last assignment at Voltas, Kumar played a pivotal role in setting up the business for the Voltas-Beko – a joint venture of India’s voltas and Turkey’s Beko. He was leading the sales and marketing function for Voltas-Beko while spearheading the launch for the JV brand in India including the channel strategy and consumer marketing.

    “As someone from the industry I have followed Arzooo’s journey closely and it’s very fascinating how it has evolved in short span and cracked one of the most complex categories,” said Prasoon Kumar. “Arzooo is already making waves in the retail and consumer electronics ecosystem and I am thrilled to be a part of this young and energetic team and excited about taking the venture to new heights.”

    Backed by over 20 years of cumulative experience in channel sales, and revenue management, Kumar has displayed innate proficiency in formulating strategy for sales & distribution, new business development of general trade. Before his Voltas-Beko tenure, Kumar has worked as the sales head for Godrej and played a crucial role in expanding presence for Haier India. He worked with LG India in its founding days and has played his part in establishing LG as the market leader in India’s consumer durable market.

    “I have known Prasoon as an industry leader from my flipkart days, and always been impressed about his business acumen and innovative ideas. I am pleased to have him onboard with us at Arzooo,” commented Arzooo co-founder and CEO Khushnud Khan. “His extensive experience in the white goods space will help us shape our vision to transform offline retail.”

  • LogiNext taps Keyur Shah to lead global marketing

    LogiNext taps Keyur Shah to lead global marketing

    Mumbai: LogiNext, a global technology company that offers a SaaS vehicle routing and last-mile delivery platform, has announced the appointment of Keyur Shah as vice president- marketing.

    The company is looking to chart an aggressive growth trajectory and in his new role, Shah will be responsible for driving strategic marketing initiatives to help support this growth of LogiNext brand and customer base, it said in a statement.

    A seasoned sales and marketing professional, Shah brings on board a wealth of international experience in translating technology into simplified business benefits. Based in Singapore, he has been associated with leading technology companies such as Lumen Technologies andTata Communications, managing marketing and product management functions for them globally. His vast repertoire of international experience in marketing B2B technology products adds immense value to his portfolio.

    “It is a pleasure having Keyur on board with us at LogiNext. A marketing industry veteran with his experience and subject matter expertize, will add tremendous value to the team, and help us in achieving our business goals,”said LogiNext founder and CEO Dhruvil Sanghvi. “The SaaS wave is here to stay, and by 2025, I am optimistic that Indian SaaS revenues would be north of $15 billion. With Keyur coming on board, his expertise in the SaaS space will be a great value addition to LogiNext’s efforts to grow in this space.”

    “The LogiNext team has built a winning product that has made its mark across various industry sectors both in India and globally. This is evident in the customer feedback and also through reviews on various analyst reports and Peer Insight portals,” said Keyur Shah. “I am quite excited and looking forward to new challenges and learning as I work alongside the team to take the LogiNext brand to the next level. I would like to express my gratitude to Dhruvil, for placing his trust in my efforts towards achieving the same.”

  • Industry veteran Tarun Nigam joins Offbeet Media Group as ED

    Industry veteran Tarun Nigam joins Offbeet Media Group as ED

    Mumbai: Offbeet Media Group has onboarded media and entertainment veteran Tarun Nigam as its executive director (ED) in a bid to diversify business and widen the company’s portfolio. He will be working closely with Offbeet Media Group founder Jaideep Singh, Bhavya and the group’s creative and strategy teams.

    In this role, Nigam will help in the strategic outreach of the group’s recent acquisition of 101india.com and lead the teams across other business verticals such as celeb/influencer, branded content, and government sector initiatives, said the company in a statement.

    “Tarun’s deep understanding of the sector and strong equity within the media & entertainment industry will be of immense value to us. I am confident this will help us strategize and carve out a successful business plan in the future,” said Jaideep Singh.

    During his two decades of career, Nigam has led various businesses. His previous stints include companies like DDB Mudra, PM Media Solutions, and Starcom. He has also worked with brands like UTV, GroupM (MindShare, Maxus & Mediacom), and Vivaki Partnership Unit, across mainstream media, brand solutions, and digital assignments.

    “New age marketing solutions are what will drive brands in the post-pandemic era. The lines between linear and digital media are already blurred and I foresee them merging further,” said Nigam on his new assignment. “Offbeet Media Group has the right mix of offerings that can enable brands to make a larger impact on the consumer’s mind. I am very excited to join the group and am looking forward to helping create a positive influence.”

  • Genero onboards Subbaraju Alluri as MD for Asia

    Genero onboards Subbaraju Alluri as MD for Asia

    Mumbai: Global creative platform Genero has announced the appointment of Subbaraju Alluri as managing director (MD) – Asia, based in Singapore.

    Alluri joins Genero less than a year after joining communications firm Redhill Communications after spending more than 19 years with Grey Group.

    According to Genero, Alluri will work closely with CEO and co-founder Andrew Lane, and the existing team in Asia to drive growth across the region. He is tasked with building on the momentum that the business has seen since the pandemic began, with “greater pressure on marketing budgets and an increasing number of in-house teams looking to augment their marketing services structures with creative tech platforms,” said the company.

    “He brings incredible experience from his years at Grey working with some of the world’s biggest advertisers, as well as a deep understanding of the industry and clients across Asia. We know that Raju’s experience will add great value to the Genero solution and for our clients,” Lane said.

    As a Grey veteran, Alluri previously held a number of roles across the agency, including president director and CEO in Indonesia, CEO of Singapore and Thailand, and group CEO of Indonesia and Thailand.

    Speaking about his new role, Alluri said, “I’m absolutely thrilled to join this amazingly progressive technology-driven global company. Excited to lead the Asia region to build Genero across a very diverse set of markets. It’s an incredible opportunity to help brands, creators, and agencies with a global creative platform built for modern marketers. This is the new way to create and I am looking forward to building something awesome with team Genero around the world.”

  • Industry veteran Jim Hamilton appointed as new OmniActive CEO

    Industry veteran Jim Hamilton appointed as new OmniActive CEO

    MUMBAI: OmniActive Health Technologies MD Sanjaya Mariwala announced that OmniActive’s board of directors has named Jim Hamilton as its new global CEO. The appointment becomes effective on 1 June and Hamilton will be based in the US.

    For the past 15 years, OmniActive, with its mission of improving lives through enhancing nutrition, has grown under the leadership of its founder, Sanjaya Mariwala, who becomes executive chairman.

    Hamilton has spent over 35 years in the nutrition products industry, serving in a wide range of executive positions. Most recently, he served as president and CEO of Neptune Wellness Solutions, where, during his five-year tenure, he planned and delivered a significant turnaround of the business through acquisitions and timely divestures. Prior to this, he was a member of DSM Nutritional Products Human Nutrition’s global business management team holding responsibility of its North American operations.

    Mariwala commented, "I’m delighted to announce Jim’s appointment and believe that he’s the right leader for OmniActive for our next phase of growth. He has a proven track record of successfully driving businesses forward and positioning them for success." 

    "I’m excited to join OmniActive, a company with an impressive history and an exceptionally bright future. I’ve known OmniActive for many years and have great respect for what it has accomplished, it’s fantastic products, deep relationships with its customers and its great team. It is uniquely positioned for success in an industry that provides great health and wellbeing benefits and whose role has never been more important than now," shared Hamilton.

  • Mailman expands asia business with singapore office and hires industry veteran bima said

    Mailman expands asia business with singapore office and hires industry veteran bima said

    MUMBAI: Mailman has officially launched across Southeast Asia with a Singapore office, hiring of Goal.com’s former Head of Asia, Bima Said and dedicated country managers in markets such as India, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia, as well as offering services to clients in Japan, South Korea and the Middle East.

    Mailman will provide best-in-class digital and content services for clients across Asia, including digital strategy, channel management, content production and community engagement.

    Bima Said, Mailman’s regional VP, has previously held high-level positions in Asia at ESPN, Fox Sports, and more recently as Head of Asia for Goal, part of DAZN Group, previously known as Perform Media. Said was responsible for overall growth in APAC of Perform-owned media platform Goal while overseeing content in eight languages across 11 editions.

    Mailman has also hired country managers in key Asia markets to ensure its clients are provided with local experts and best-in-class content with ability to leverage on resources, knowledge and insights from Mailman as a group to drive performance and results.

    CEO of Mailman, Andrew Collins: “SEA is a young, highly social media driven market with a passion for football and entertainment. Through local teams we will deliver more meaningful connections with the audience and our clients.”

    Mailman’s regional VP, Bima Said: “It’s the right time for Mailman to be expanding in Asia. The continent is regarded as a key market for sports IPs looking for growth. Improvements in technology and infrastructure give fans closer and faster access to their favorite leagues, teams and players. More fans are watching and spending, this delivers strong impetus for the growth of all sports across the continent.”

    Maurizio Barbieri, Twitter’s Head of Sports Partnerships, SEA and Greater China: "Football and entertainment are two of the biggest conversation drivers on Twitter not only in our region, but globally. In fact, in 2018 there were 5.3 billion Tweets about KPop alone, and on the football side, we saw 115 billion impressions of Tweets during the World Cup. So, we couldn't be more excited to collaborate with Mailman to bring even more premium football and entertainment content from the world's biggest names to South East Asia, and help them find new audiences on Twitter."

    Last year, Mailman grew its global footprint with a strategic investment in Europe’s leading sports digital consultancy Seven League, with a vision to building the world’s first global digital sports consulting business.