ITV

Tag: Unilever

  • Dunkin’ business head Chitrank Goel calls it quits at Jubilant FoodWorks

    Dunkin’ business head Chitrank Goel calls it quits at Jubilant FoodWorks

    MUMBAI: In a surprise move, Jubilant FoodWorks has announced that Chitrank Goel, its  executive vice president and business head for Dunkin’, has tendered his resignation.

    The donut boss, who joined the company in September 2021, will hang up his apron on 15 April after a tenure of three years and seven months. Jubilant’s board will be look for his replacement “in due course,” according to the regulatory filing with the Bombay stock exchange.

    Goel’s departure comes at a critical juncture for the company as it continues expanding its portfolio beyond the flagship Domino’s Pizza brand. The executive was tasked with not only steering the Dunkin’ ship but also “incubating new brands.”

    Before joining the Jubilant family, Goel spent a whopping 14 years with consumer goods giant Unilever, where he cut his teeth across various markets. His last role there saw him heading the ice cream business unit in Poland and Baltics. 

    Industry insiders speculate that Goel’s extensive international experience and proven track record in scaling businesses might have attracted a juicier offer elsewhere. The resignation letter, dated 11 March, mentions he’s leaving “to take up an external opportunity” – corporate-speak for “found a better gig.”

    During his Unilever days, Goel boasted impressive achievements, including boosting growth rates from 7 per cent to 16 per cent in the out-of-home channel and unlocking “disproportionate growth” in quick commerce.

  • ICC-Unilever sponsorship deal: a sign that women’s cricket has arrived

    ICC-Unilever sponsorship deal: a sign that women’s cricket has arrived

    MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has broken new ground by unbundling its sponsorship rights, securing Unilever as the first dedicated partner for women’s competitions, ICC chief commercial officer Anurag Dahiya told SportsPro. 

    In a deal announced on International Women’s Day, the consumer goods giant said it would promote its Rexona and Dove brands across all ICC women’s events over the next two years. The partnership covers the 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup, Women’s T20 World Cup, U19 Women’s T20 World Cups and the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027.

    Dahiya told SportsPro the move reflects the “standalone commercial value” of women’s cricket, with Unilever “jumping at” the opportunity to sponsor these tournaments.

    “Women’s cricket is no longer an add-on or a freebie attached to men’s cricket,” Dahiya said. “It’s a distinct product, has its own unique cultural resonance, commercial potential, and has its own ability to stand on its own.”

    Unilever’s existing involvement in women’s sport – including partnerships with WSL clubs Chelsea and Manchester City, plus sponsorship of this year’s UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup – “absolutely facilitated” discussions with the ICC.

    Beyond tournament branding, the partnership extends to digital initiatives, fan experiences and the ICC’s flag bearers programme. Unilever will also support Criiio festivals, grassroots events introducing women and girls worldwide to cricket.

    Dahiya confirmed that while the deal specifically covers women’s cricket, revenue won’t be ring fenced exclusively for the women’s game but added to central funding.

    “If you restricted women’s cricket to only revenue they were making, that would be a gross injustice,” he explained. “The commercial size of men’s sport outweighs women’s sport by factors of probably like 100.”

    The ICC has committed to maintaining equal standards across men’s and women’s competitions, including event presentation, facilities and prize money.

    “We’ve taken a very conscious decision that we’re not going to deliver to the competing teams and our fans any less than what we would for men,” Dahiya added. “Many times more will go into women’s cricket than just that money.”

  • Unilever’s Schumacher to step down as CEO, Fernandez appointed successor

    Unilever’s Schumacher to step down as CEO, Fernandez appointed successor

    MUMBAI: Unilever today announced that Hein Schumacher will step down as chief executive officer and board director on 1 March 2025 by mutual agreement, and will leave the company on 31 May 2025.

    Fernando Fernandez, currently Unilever chief financial officer and executive director, will be appointed chief executive officer effective from 1 March 2025. Prior to becoming CFO in January 2024, Fernandez had a successful tenure as president of beauty & wellbeing, one of Unilever’s fastest growing businesses.

    Unilever chairman Ian Meakins thanked Schumacher for “resetting Unilever’s strategy, for the focus and discipline he has brought to the company and for the solid financial progress delivered during 2024.” He noted that Schumacher introduced and led a significant productivity programme and commenced the ice cream separation, both of which are fully on track.

    Speaking of Fernandez’s appointment, Meakins said: “The board has been impressed with Fernando’s decisive and results-oriented approach and his ability to drive change at speed. He has a strong track record of performance and portfolio management, a love of brands and a profound knowledge of Unilever’s operations.”

    Schumacher called his time leading Unilever “a privilege” and said he was proud of what they had achieved in a short period of time.

    Fernandez commented: “Being appointed as CEO of Unilever is an honour. Our focus will be on building a future-fit portfolio with an attractive growth footprint and delivering unmatched functional and perceivable superiority across our top 30 power brands.”

    A thorough internal and external search process is being initiated to appoint a permanent CFO. From 1 March 2025, Srinivas Phatak, currently Unilever’s deputy chief financial officer and group controller, will become acting CFO.

    Unilever confirmed there is no change to its 2025 outlook or medium-term guidance.
     

  • Netflix India appoints Aneesha Mukhopadhaya as consumer insights lead

    Netflix India appoints Aneesha Mukhopadhaya as consumer insights lead

    MUMBAI: Aneesha Mukhopadhaya has joined Netflix India as consumer insights lead in Mumbai. She moves from Amazon, where she served as research and insights lead for Prime Video for nearly three years.

    Prior to Amazon, Mukhopadhaya spent over eight years at Unilever in various roles, most recently as global homecare lead for CMI Hive. She previously worked with Kantar as insights director at IMRB International.

    A consumer insight specialist with over 15 years’ experience, Mukhopadhaya brings expertise in research, analytics and brand strategy across FMCG and entertainment sectors.

     

  • GroupM India appoints Vipasha Bhuptani as national head of communications planning

    GroupM India appoints Vipasha Bhuptani as national head of communications planning

    MUMBAI: GroupM India has appointed Vipasha Bhuptani as national head of communications planning. She joins from Mindshare, where she held a similar role for over three years.

    Bhuptani brings 17 years of experience across advertising, marketing and communications to her new position. Her career includes significant stints at leading agencies including Leo Burnett Orchard, Ogilvy & Mather and Saatchi & Saatchi UK, where she worked with major brands across India, Southeast Asia, and Central and  Eastern Europe.

    At Ogilvy, she notably led the strategic repositioning of Asian Paints and helped drive growth for Unilever’s Red Label tea brand. Her work has earned recognition through various awards including Effie India, Effie Asia Pacific and WARC.

    Prior to her time at Mindshare, Bhuptani served as head of strategic planning at Leo Burnett Orchard, where she worked with clients including Ensure, Ola, DBS Bank and Bajaj Allianz.

  • DMart announces key leadership appointments

    DMart announces key leadership appointments

    MUMBAI: Avenue Supermarts, the parent company of DMart, has announced significant leadership changes, including the appointment of Anshul Asawa as chief executive officer designate and senior managerial personnel, effective 15 March 2025. Asawa will succeed Ignatius Navil Noronha, the current managing director & CEO, when his term ends on 31 January 2026.

    Reports are that Navil chose not to renew his contract after 20 years of being at the helm of the company transforming it from a five store operation to 380 stores all over India. In the process, he   managed to accumulate  a 1.95 per cent stake in DMart, which is valued at around  Rs 5,000 crore, making him one of the richest professional CEOs in India. 

    Asawa will officially assume the role of MD & CEO on 1 February  2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.

    An alumnus of IIT Roorkee and IIM Lucknow, Asawa brings a wealth of experience from his 30-year career at Unilever, where he held leadership roles in India, Asia, and Europe. Most recently, he served as country head for Unilever Thailand and general manager for the home care business in greater Asia. Known for his consumer-centric approach and focus on digital transformation, Asawa has spearheaded innovations in sales, marketing, and distribution.

    Additionally, DMart has announced the following appointments and changes effective 11 January 2025:

    * Hitesh Shah has been named head of the pharma business and designated senior management personnel. Shah, who joined DMart in 2007, has over 30 years of experience in sales, marketing, and retail management, including a 13-year tenure at Hindustan Unilever.

    * Rajeev Chandrasekharan, previously general manager – DC, will now serve as head of the centre of excellence, overseeing process audits. With 23 years of experience in supply chain and operations, Chandrasekharan has been with DMart since 2015 and has also worked at Procter & Gamble, Gillette, and Toyota (Oman).

    * Ashutosh Dhar will transition to the role of head-loss prevention but will no longer be classified as senior management personnel due to a change in reporting structure.

    DMart, founded by Radhakishan Damani, operates 381 stores across India, offering a wide range of home and personal products at competitive prices. Headquartered in Mumbai, the company continues to expand with new locations planned across the country.

  • Interpublic group acquires Mumbai-based ecommerce intelligence firm Intelligence Node

    Interpublic group acquires Mumbai-based ecommerce intelligence firm Intelligence Node

    MUMBAI: For clients, looking for granular information about shopping habits of customers online – especially in this increasingly D2C world – it surely is an intelligent move by . marketing solutions provider the  Interpublic Group. It has forked out, according to media reports $100 million, to acquire 12 year old Mumbai-based ecommerce intelligence platform Intelligence Node. The company which was co-founded by CEO Sanjeev Sularia and chief data analytics officer Yasen Dimitrov, serves top notch clients such as Jockey, Unilever, Macy’s, Li & Fung, Tesco, Mobly, Tata and Landmark. 

    This strategic move significantly enhances Interpublic’s commerce capabilities, providing clients with real-time product and market intelligence to understand shopper trends, drive sales growth and optimise performance in the dynamic digital marketplace. 

    Intelligence Node’s cutting-edge technology leverages AI to aggregate and analyse billions of data points across over 1,900 retail categories in 34 global markets, delivering dynamic insights into product attributes, media, pricing, availability, promotions, and consumer sentiment. 

    Through this acquisition, Interpublic will seamlessly integrate these rich data streams into its existing and future commerce solutions. Intelligence Node strengthens Interpublic’s ability to build and deploy agile commerce solutions, streamlining operations and maximising ROI for companies through faster, more informed decisions across product development, marketing, sales activation, and retail media.

    The aggregated commerce and transaction data from Intelligence Node enhances and complements audience data and identity solutions within Acxiom, the global data leader within Interpublic. Together, the companies create a comprehensive view of customers and products, offering brands and retailers unmatched capabilities to maximize market share. Intelligence Node will be leveraged across Interpublic’s portfolio of agencies and the company will maintain its current brand name.

    “As commerce and retail media continue their rapid convergence, actionable data is paramount to maximising brand performance,” said Interpublic group CEO Philippe Krakowsky Interpublic. “Intelligence Node’s robust platform provides the real-time market-wide signals that brands need to optimise retail media campaigns, commerce strategies, and ultimately drive performance in today’s highly competitive digital landscape.”

    By integrating Intelligence Node’s capabilities, Interpublic will offer clients:

    * Real-Time Market Agility:Dynamic data insights empower companies to react instantly to market shifts, competitor actions, and emerging consumer trends.
    * Precision Retail Media Optimization:Granular data on competitor advertising activity enables more effective and efficient retail media investment.
    * Digital Content and Search Optimisation: Intelligence Node streamlines content management and optimization leveraging generative AI to ensure product description pages are resonant, highly visible, and SEO optimised.

    “Joining forces with Interpublic allows us to deliver a best in class combined solution to companies navigating the complexities of today’s commerce landscape,” said  Sularia. “Together, we can provide the comprehensive data, advanced analytics, and strategic expertise needed to win market share and drive sustainable growth.”

    (Picture courtesy: Intelligence Node website)

  • FCB Ulka appoints Ajay Ravindran as national planning director

    FCB Ulka appoints Ajay Ravindran as national planning director

    Mumbai: – FCB Ulka, part of FCB Group India, has announced the appointment of Ajay Ravindran as national planning director.

    Ajay comes to FCB Ulka with remarkable breadth and depth of experience. He has a 360-degree view of brand strategy, having worked on the entire gamut from advertising to social media, content, media planning, and market research. He specializes in new-age planning, bringing together storytelling, social media culture, and technology.

    In his previous role as head of brand marketing for Razorpay, Ajay oversaw numerous campaigns that seamlessly integrated technology, creativity, and storytelling, demonstrating his ability to deliver successful and innovative strategies. Over his career, Ajay has worked on brands like Unilever, Britannia, Colgate, Vodafone-Idea, Dell, Titan, TVS, 3M and many others. He is a multi-time EFFIE award winner. He has led planning teams in agencies like Ogilvy, VML, MullenLowe Lintas Group & Grey with distinction.

    On the appointment, FCB Ulka CEO Kulvinder Ahluwalia said, “We are thrilled to have Ajay join us as our National Planning Director. His exceptional blend of creativity and strategic insight will play a pivotal role in enhancing our capabilities and driving impactful brand solutions for our clients. We believe his leadership will strengthen our strategic initiatives and inspire our teams to push the boundaries of creativity.”

    “I believe the true power of Brand Marketing lies not just in creating ‘buzz’ or some fuzzy ‘brand love’ but unlocking hidden growth opportunities for businesses. And the new-age we live in provides us with an array of avenues to do this – technology, digital, data, content, CX. FCB Ulka provides the finest playground to practice this craft. An enviable client roster, entrenched relationships, and a burning desire to do the very best for the businesses we work on. Just a few minutes into the conversation with Dheeraj, Nitin, Kulvinder and Hemant, I just had one question: “When can I start?” Ajay expressed on his appointment.

  • VML appoints Babita Baruah as CEO of India

    VML appoints Babita Baruah as CEO of India

    Mumbai: VML has announced Babita Baruah will join as chief executive officer of India from March 1, 2024, and will partner with Saurabh Saksena, who has been elevated into the role of president.

    Baruah’s journey began at JWT/Wunderman Thompson India, where she spent two decades leading global and local brands such as PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Godrej, Kotak Mahindra, Reliance, and Aditya Birla.

    In 2017, she joined the GTB business in India as managing partner and moved to Bangkok in 2021 in a dual capacity role as WPP Lead for the Ford business across India, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Middle East, and South Africa, and executive director, VMLY&R Thailand.

  • Unilever and Accenture collaborate on next generation AI

    Unilever and Accenture collaborate on next generation AI

    Mumbai: Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is joining forces with Unilever, the consumer goods multinational —whose 400+ brands are used by 3.4 billion people every day— as part of a strategic initiative to leverage Unilever’s AI research and implementation of technologies that enhance productivity, drive efficiencies, and accelerate disruptive and AI-powered innovations at scale.

    The work will kick-off from Unilever’s global AI Lab “Horizon3 Labs”, recently opened in Toronto — a city recognized for its concentration of AI expertise and home to one of Accenture’s six Gen AI studios in North America.

    The two companies will explore new applications to scale generative AI; for example, assets from Accenture’s AI Navigator or its proprietary “switchboard,” which allows a user to select a combination of models to address the unique business context.

    “This collaboration builds on our relationship of more than three decades with Unilever, which continues to raise the bar as a digital powerhouse and industry leader,” said Accenture CEO & chair Julie Sweet. “The combination of Horizon3Labs’ disruptive innovation with Accenture’s deep expertise and strong ecosystem partnerships will help Unilever scale AI and generative AI more rapidly and responsibly across its business and discover new pathways to value.”

    “We are excited about building on our long-standing partnership with Accenture to step up our innovation agenda and drive value for our consumers, retailers, and distributors. Horizon3 Labs is a unique platform for collaboration and co-creation, and we look forward to working with Accenture and other partners to take our investment in AI to a new level,” said Unilever chief enterprise & technology officer Steve McCrystal.

    This initiative will leverage the industry solutions and accelerators within Accenture’s previously announced $3 billion investment in data and AI. As part of these efforts, Accenture will connect Unilever with its top data and AI experts, and help capitalize on Accenture’s ecosystem partnerships, ventures, and strategic investments within its Center for Advanced AI, which includes more than 1,450 pending and issued patents in Accenture’s AI solutions and learnings from more than 300 generative AI projects.