Vikram Garga, who led Apollo Tyres as group head - marketing /Group chief marketing officer - Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, has stepped down from his position.


Garga started his career at Dabur India, and went on to work across Johnson & Johnson, Britannia Industries, Colgate-Palmolive, Castrol, Mahindra and Mahindra Limited. 


As the regional sales manager at Colgate - Palmolive, Garga administered entire sales, marketing activation, and business development functions for dominant and challenger brands with annual business of > $ 40 Million.


At Britannia Industries as the group product manager, he was responsible in managing the entire Good day range of premium biscuits with the help of one brand manager reporting in to me. It was the the biggest growth contributor to the Britannia top and bottom line and being the highest in value market share in the cookie segment.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/nokias-amy-hanlon-rodemich-quits-27789.htm">Nokia's Amy Hanlon-Rodemich quits</a>

Apollo Tyres' Vikram Garga steps down

Vikram Garga led Apollo Tyres as group head - marketing /group chief marketing officer - Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.

Sandeep Karwa is newly appointed leader for Flipkart Ads

Decentralising city management, funds and oversight - ways to deal with illegal ad hoardings

Three jailed for violating food safety standards in Patanjali Elaichi Soan Papdi case

Disney-Star Signs Deal with Bodhi Tree Multimedia for a New Show

Disney-Star signs deal with Bodhi Tree Multimedia for a new show

Byju's advisory board members Rajnish Kumar and Mohandas Pai to quit

Bombay High Court dismissed plea against Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan in surrogate advertising case

Representational image via Unsplash

Zee-Sony merger saga ends: Timeline of the failed merger

Why are Indian brands advertising in NYC's Times Square?

What Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick teaches us about leadership

Advertising is in the position where tobacco was: IPG's Arun Kumar 

Biz Moves: Interactive Avenues, Verve Media, Foxymoron and Grapes

There is an opportunity for building a better agency, not just a different one: Manja's Prajato Guha

Shareholders to decide on Zee CEO Punit Goenka’s reappointment

CII elects ITC's chairman and MD Sanjiv Puri as the president

Various civic bodies spur into action to ensure safety of ad hoardings

Meet the four HUL young leaders who joined the top table - the HUL management committee

Piyush Pandey

Adtech regulation a priority for Modi govt in third term: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Credibility of news and platforms are as important as monetisation challenges: Anurag Thakur

HUL: Meet the leaders who have emerged from "The CEO Factory"

Punit Goenka addresses Zee employees; ensures no layoffs due to failed merger

Disney's strategic sale to Viacom18 set to boost market share to 40 percent

The Leader's Edge: Storyboard18 in conversation with leaders, decision makers and disruptors

Nobody’s Perfect Retro Porsche Ad

In Conversation With Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard

Shahid Kapoor And Varun Ganjoo Speaks On PokerBaazi's Campaign

In conversation with IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal & GroupM’s Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why are brands including e-sports in their sports marketing itinerary?

Storyboard18 x The English Nut: How to pronounce these 10 brand names

Experts' Take On Reinvention Of Ad Campaigns Through Technology

Experts Speak On Key Emerging Trends In Cannes Lions Entries

Leaders of the future have to be outstanding human beings: Nestle MD

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

Sandeep Karwa is the newly appointed leader for Flipkart Ads. As Vice President of Flipkart Ads, Karwa announced the launch of Flipkart IRIS, an insights platform for brands. 

Karwa said, "Flipkart IRIS represents a significant advancement in empowering brands to bolster their businesses and succeed on Flipkart. With Flipkart IRIS, we aim to provide brands with actionable insights about their business performance on Flipkart." 

He added, "By empowering brands to make strategic decisions backed by rich data, the platform is poised to  unlock unprecedented growth opportunities for brands on the platform. Retail media spends are only 15%–20% of digital AdEx in India, compared to 25%–30% in the US and 55%–60% in China. In the first quarter of 2024, digital AdEx in India increased to over 25–30%. Despite the rapid growth, the headroom to grow is tremendous." 

Retail media is the third big wave in digital after search and social across geographies. Advertising-led monetization is growing disproportionately in India. Brands use platforms like Flipkart to get discovered, to engage, and to retain their customers.

Karwa has spent over a decade at Flipkart and over the past 12 years he has been instrumental in shaping and scaling various business categories at Flipkart. 


Anuradha Razdan, executive diirector - HR, Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and CHRO, Unilever South Asia, had highlighted the one fundamental quality of Unileverites that distinguished them from the rest, and fueled their growth. She attributed it to the mindset of ‘leaders building leaders’, that bound them together, and helped HUL churn leader after leader. Shiva Krishnamurthy, Harman Dhillon, Arun Neelakantan and Vipul Mathur joined HUL's top table - the management committee, after a recent rejig of leadership. Take a look at who they are. 

Shiva Krishnamurthy

Shiva Krishnamurthy is the executive director of foods and refreshment at Hindustan Unilever Limited. Before this, he was the vice president of foods and Beverages for Unilever South Asia. Under Krishnamurthy’s tenure during the last 10 years, HUL became the market leader in Tea in India. HUL also won the prestigious Glass Grand Prix at Cannes for the Brooke Bond Red Label 6-Pack Band - India’s first transgender band. 

Several other brand campaigns under Krishnmurthy’s leadership have been recognised with prestigious industry awards in India. Shiva’s diverse expertise spans brand crafting, mix design, and end-to-end P&L leadership. His innovative approach has led to significant advancements in HUL’s core portfolio, including Lifebuoy and Lux. Notably, he spearheaded the innovation for the Radiant brand in the Home Care category for Southeast Asia, based in Singapore. Krishnamurthy is an alumnus of XLRI Jamshedpur. He joined HUL in 2000 after a brief stint with PepsiCo and worked as an area sales manager with HUL’s Customer Development team. A die-hard fan of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan, Krishnamurthy ran a Amitabh Bachchan fan club while pursuing his MBA. 

Harman Dhillon

Harman Dhillon is the executive director of Hindustan Unilever Limited's Beauty and Wellbeing division and the General Manager of Unilever's Beauty and Wellbeing division in South Asia.

Dhillon is a well-rounded Business leader and marketer with strengths in strategic thinking, consumer insights, brand crafting, P&L management, and leading diverse teams. She has a successful track record of launching and growing large brands in the beauty and personal care business with assignments of increasing responsibility covering South Asia, North America and Europe. 

Prior to this, as Skin Care Head, she led HUL’s premiumisation portfolio and demonstrated thought leadership for HUL in the FMCG beauty segment. She has also led the transformation of the Skin Care business, with a comprehensive revamp of brands such as Lakmé. 

Previously as VP Hair Care, Dhillon built deep expertise in the Hair Care segment; she launched Dove hair and TRESemmé in India and led iconic marketing campaigns such as Dove ‘Stop the Beauty Test’ and Clinic Plus ‘Meri Beti Strong.’ In 2015, she was responsible for the global TRESemmé business for two years as Global Brand Director based in London. 

She joined HUL in 2006 after a stint with Tata Administrative Services. About Dove's ‘Stop the Beauty Test’ campaign that was rolled out in 2022 on the occasion of International Daughters Day, Dhillon had told Storyboard18, “The Indian woman has gone through a complete metamorphosis in the recent time, especially when it comes to her portrayal in advertising and media. We’ve come a long way from women being conditioned to believing their self-worth is dictated by the perception of others, to now where they are seen taking charge and having a voice of their own.”

Arun Neelakantan

Arun Neelakantan was appointed as the chief digital officer at HUL, in January 2024. In his previous role, he has been responsible for HUL's digital transformation and growth agenda in South Asia. He has played a key role in anchoring the identification, tapping of growth opportunities, developing new digital capabilities, and driving HUL's digital agenda across the value chain. 

Under his leadership, HUL has accelerated its journey towards an intelligent enterprise by consolidating capabilities, unlocking cross-functional ecosystems, and enhancing the digital quotient of people. In parallel, he has also driven the growth agenda for HUL and Unilever, South Asia by identifying granular opportunities across business fundamentals, specifically in emerging channels and businesses, along with a holistic approach towards media, marketing, and commerce. 

Before this, he had various roles in Customer Development and Marketing across General Trade, Modern Trade, Customer Marketing and Brands. As Regional Manager for HUL’s South Branch, he led a series of initiatives to make Customer Development function Future Fit and led the region to sustainable, consistent, and market-beating growth. Arun is an alumnus of the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad and joined HUL in 2006.
 
On HUL’s digital transformation journey, Neelakantan had said, “HUL started on the digital transformation journey several years back. We first embarked on digital experimentation with Livewire, which addressed a fundamental problem of providing real-time, joined-up, granular data to enable better decision-making. Over the years, we consolidated the experiments under the ‘Re-imagine HUL’ umbrella and set up the ‘HUL Digital Council’ that has driven the transformation agenda across the business.” He further added, “Re-imagine HUL anchors on a connected ecosystem across consumers, customers and operations enabled by the data / technology / analytics at its core. It promotes the development of modular inter-connected capabilities that allow us to create a frictionless solution for superior experience while improving agility and responsiveness across the business.”

Vipul Mathur

On June 1, 2024, Vipul Mathur will join the HUL Management Committee as executive director, personal care. Vipul, currently Head of Growth and Transformation, joined HUL in 2003 as a management trainee after completing his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta. In a career spanning over two decades, he has worked in Customer Development and Marketing, across Home Care, Personal Care and Nutrition. Mathur’s stints in the Laundry business between 2012 – 2017 and subsequently in 2020-2021 were hugely successful. He led Mobile Marketing and Rural Marketing for Wheel and played a pivotal role in launching the Cannes-winning Kan Khajura Teshan (KKT), India’s first mobile-based radio platform with branded content from 10 Unilever brands. 

As the Category Head, he spearheaded the portfolio transformation programme, scaled up the Liquids business and delivered competitive and profitable growth. As part of the Global Tea Leadership team between 2017-2020, Mathur worked with teams in Indonesia, UAE, UK&I and Australia, alongside South Asia, and was successful in landing new mixes in the category and delivered award winning communication campaigns on Brooke Bond. In his previous role, as Vice President for Modern Trade and eCommerce, he strengthened the company’s omnichannel strategy and drove portfolio transformation for HUL in high-growth emerging channels, by leading the relationships with customers and building internal cross-functional capabilities.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/hul-meet-the-leaders-who-have-emerged-from-the-ceo-factory-21397.htm">HUL: Meet the leaders who have emerged from "The CEO Factory" </a>

Raghunandan Kamath, founder of Naturals Ice Cream, who was fondly called ‘Ice Cream Man of India’, breathed his last on May 17 after battling a brief illness. He was in his 70s and is survived by his wife and sons.

As the news of his death surfaced, tributes began to pour in.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;The Ice Cream Man of India &quot; Mr. Raghunandan Srinivas Kamath, Son Of A Fruit Vendor from the Icecream Capital of India - Mangalore, who Built The Rs 400 Crore Company Naturals Ice Cream is no more. Om Shanti ? What is your favourite Naturals Icecream flavour ? ?? <a href="https://t.co/lSwXMMgbhi">pic.twitter.com/lSwXMMgbhi</a>&mdash; Visit Udupi (@VisitUdupi) <a href="https://twitter.com/VisitUdupi/status/1791788003750506502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A phenomenal journey comes to an end?? Saddened to know of the demise of ‘Icecream Man’ Shri Raghunandan Kamath, the founder &amp; force behind Natural Icecreams. From Mulki to Mumbai with just a dream to creating a brand that became a ‘natural’ choice for every icecream lover,… <a href="https://t.co/nPRw8CHZZj">pic.twitter.com/nPRw8CHZZj</a>&mdash; Captain Brijesh Chowta (Modi Ka Parivar) (@CaptBrijesh) <a href="https://twitter.com/CaptBrijesh/status/1791631812990517487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">So sad to hear this. <a href="https://twitter.com/Naturalicecream?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Naturalicecream</a> has been the go to brand for years, for many of us. Their tender coconut, sitaphal, chickoo flavors were to die for. A fantastic brand. Go gently Raghunandan ji. Om Shanti.<a href="https://twitter.com/PadmajaParulkar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PadmajaParulkar</a>&mdash; Srikant Kesnur (@srikantkesnur) <a href="https://twitter.com/srikantkesnur/status/1791713105862590569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Very very sorry to hear about Shri Raghunandan Kamath, the owner of <a href="https://twitter.com/Naturalicecream?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Naturalicecream</a> attaining Haripada! Raghunandan Kamath maam was not only an entrepreneur who built a successful icecream brand, he was a philanthropist who supported several community initiatives. Born in a… <a href="https://t.co/b3wSe8SWIS">pic.twitter.com/b3wSe8SWIS</a>&mdash; Shefali Vaidya. ?? (@ShefVaidya) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShefVaidya/status/1791707470588752099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Born to a fruit vendor in a small village in Mangalore, Karnataka, Kamath assisted his father in his business, and that experience helped him sharpen his business acumen and knowledge about fruits. It was the foundation that would help solidify his position as an pioneering entrepreneur in the ice cream business.


As a child, Kamath struggled academically and eventually had to drop out. He moved to Mumbai at 14, and was employed at his brother’s South Indian restaurant.


February 14, 1984 marked the period when Kamath cemented the foundation of Naturals Ice Cream by opening an outlet in Juhu with just four workers. Today, the company has grown leaps and bounds. 


But the journey of expanding its footprint nationwide and building a legacy has not been easy. When Kamath first started out, ice cream was sold as a side dish to Pav Bhaji, as a means to attract customers. His insight was simple: After a hot meal, people liked to end their dinner on a sweet note. The first flavour to be offered was of sitaphal and an average of 60 litres of milk per day was used. That yielded results.

And, the Juhu outlet for that year recorded Rs 5,00,000 in revenue. Ingredients such as fruits (regionally sourced), milk and sugar were primarily used.

As the ice cream business grew, Raghunandan's sole attention shifted to solidifying the business in the ice cream industry.

In 1991, Kamath’s son Siddhant said that tender coconut as a flavour was introduced, which was a result of experimentations from his grandmother’s kitchen. Today, the company boasts of 125 flavours.

In 2017, Naturals Ice cream underwent a rebranding effort and its tagline was changed to ‘Taste The Original’.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Naturals partnered with Rebel Foods to sell through cloud kitchens on Swiggy and Zomato.

Naturals launched mini packs and had rolled out ‘Tough Tub’ campaign, which assured the customers of their products being completely tamper-proof. In 2022, the mini packs contributed 8-10 percent of their sales.

Today, Naturals Ice Cream is present in 35 cities with more than 140 stores and distributed through 70 cloud kitchens. The brand is present in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Kerala, Delhi NCR, Goa and Rajasthan. As per a KPMG survey, Naturals Ice Cream was voted in the list of top 10 companies in terms of customer experience. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/wipro-appoints-sanjeev-jain-as-chief-operating-officer-31966.htm">Wipro appoints Sanjeev Jain as chief operating officer</a>

Legacy of Naturals Ice Cream founder Raghunandan Kamath aka ‘Ice Cream Man of India’

Leading consumer health and hygiene company, Reckitt has appointed Kanika Kalra as the Regional Marketing Director, Health & Nutrition at Reckitt - South Asia. In this role, Kalra will lead marketing strategies for Reckitt’s portfolio of health and nutrition brands across India and other South Asian markets.

Kalra brings with her over 20 years of experience in driving consumer, consumer technology and marketing practices ranging from a myriad of sectors, including personal care, beauty, food and beverage, fashion, and E-Commerce among others.

Before joining Reckitt India, Kalra was associated with McKinsey & Company as Partner and worked extensively across the firm’s Consumer, Consumer Technology and Marketing practices. She was also the Managing Partner of McKinsey’s Mumbai office from 2020-2023 where she spearheaded the building of the firm’s new Mumbai office. Kalra led the diversity and inclusion initiatives for McKinsey India.

Gaurav Jain, Executive Vice President, Reckitt – South Asia, said, “At Reckitt, we are consistently working towards building a healthier world and we look forward to working with Kanika in her new role to help take this vision forward. As the Indian consumer is ever evolving, Kanika’s proven ability and expertise will further help us lead our strategic marketing in a direction that meaningfully connects and resonates with our consumer base across markets.”

Kalra added "Reckitt’s impressive growth as a leading health, hygiene and nutrition company is inspiring. I am excited about working with our portfolio of iconic brands and creating new experiences that address the deepest needs of our consumers, at a time when we are all resetting the way we think about our health and that of our family and community.”

Prior to McKinsey, Kalra has worked with Snapdeal, Unilever in Personal Care, and Pepsico as well as GSK Consumer. She holds a bachelor’s degree of Arts in Mathematics from Lady Shri Ram College of Commerce, New Delhi, and a PGDM in Marketing from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow.



Reckitt appoints Kanika Kalra as Regional Marketing Director – Health & Nutrition

Anita Goyal, wife of Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal, passed away on May 16, 2024, due to cancer. Anita Goyal was the executive vice president of Jet Airways and in 2015 she took up the role of a non-executive vice president. Naresh Goyal was granted bail earlier in May by the Bombay High Court for two months on humanitarian grounds after he filed an application citing his wife’s ill-health.

A single bench of Justice NJ Jamadar granted him interim bail upon payment of a surety of Rs 1 lakh and under the condition that he will stay within the jurisdiction of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court of Mumbai. "The applicant (Goyal) shall be released on interim bail for a period of two months. He shall abide by all conditions imposed," the bench said.

The erstwhile promoter of Jet Airways has been facing trial in an alleged Rs 538 crore money laundering case involving a loan fraud complaint by PSU lender Canara Bank, after being arrested by Enforcement Directorate in September 2023. His wife too was arrested two months later after the ED submitted its chargesheet in the case.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/spicejets-turbulent-aviation-journey-explained-24596.htm">SpiceJet's turbulent aviation journey: Explained</a>

Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal's wife Anita Goyal dies

Google chief Sundar Pichai shared his first-ever post on LinkedIn, a platform owned by Microsoft. Pichai shared, "For my first-ever LinkedIn post, I thought I’d share a sneak peek of the Shoreline Amphitheatre stage, as we put some finishing touches on our keynote for Google I/O tomorrow. Can’t wait to see those seats filled with developers from around the world who are building the next generation of AI experiences." 

He added, "Excited to join Demis Hassabis Elizabeth Reid Sissie H. James Manyika and others on stage. We'll share how our Gemini models are bringing breakthrough AI capabilities to people through our products, as well as innovation across safety, research, infrastructure…we’re going to talk about it all. Tune in if you can — 10 a.m. PT tomorrow!" 

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LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals, has more than 1 billion members and has offices around the globe. 

Earlier this month, Microsoft Corp. and LinkedIn released the 2024 Work Trend Index, a joint report on the state of AI at work titled, “AI at work is here. Now comes the hard part.” The research — based on a survey of 31,000 people across 31 countries, labor and hiring trends on LinkedIn, trillions of Microsoft 365 productivity signals, and research with Fortune 500 customers — shows how, just one year in, AI is influencing the way people work, lead and hire around the world. 

Microsoft also announced new capabilities in Copilot for Microsoft 365, and LinkedIn made free more than 50 learning courses for LinkedIn Premium subscribers designed to empower professionals at all levels to advance their AI aptitude.

“AI is democratizing expertise across the workforce,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, Microsoft. “Our latest research highlights the opportunity for every organization to apply this technology to drive better decision-making, collaboration — and ultimately business outcomes.”

Sundar Pichai's first-ever LinkedIn post: What did the Google boss say?

Firstpost has issued an alert about fraudulent ads involving the misuse of the name and image of its Managing Editor, Palki Sharma by cyber criminals. Individuals have been deceived through false ads on social media, particularly Facebook and Instagram, claiming to offer stock market courses by Palki Sharma.

Bringing attention to the false ads, Palki Sharma posted on X and alerted the users. In her post, she said, “This is a scam. A lot of you have shared these posts with me in the last few days. (Thanks for flagging!) My photos are being misused and such fraudulent ads are being circulated on Facebook. Despite complaints, @Meta has not taken action.”

Palki Sharma does not provide any investment advice or stock market course through WhatsApp or any other social media platform. She is not associated with any group offering stock recommendations or financial advice, and people are urged to exercise caution and report any suspicious activities immediately.

To avoid falling victim to such fraud, it is recommended to ignore advice from unknown sources, verify information from official sources, and maintain secure practices for personal and financial transactions. It is important not to trust any information shared through unofficial channels and sources. In case of any suspicious activity, Firstpost advises people to report it to the appropriate authorities immediately.

For further information and to report fraudulent activities, please visit <a href="https://www.cybercrime.gov.in/">www.cybercrime.gov.in</a> or contact the helpline number – 1930 or the cyber cell of the local police department.

Link to the post on X: <blockquote class="twitter-tweet">This is a scam. A lot of you have shared these posts with me in the last few days. (Thanks for flagging!) My photos are being misused and such fraudulent ads are being circulated on Facebook. Despite complaints, <a href="https://twitter.com/Meta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Meta</a> has not taken action. <a href="https://t.co/B5zkQkDwGH">pic.twitter.com/B5zkQkDwGH</a>&mdash; Palki Sharma (@palkisu) <a href="https://twitter.com/palkisu/status/1787546496956596362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Scam alert! Fake ads impersonating Palki Sharma of Firstpost

Games24x7 announced the elevation of Tridib Mukherjee to the position of Chief Data Science & AI Officer. In his new role, Tridib will continue to drive Games24x7's data-centric approach, leveraging his extensive expertise in data science and artificial intelligence to drive innovation and enhance user experiences.

Having served as the Vice President of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at Games24x7 for over six years, Tridib played a pivotal role in implementing cutting-edge algorithms and AI-driven solutions that propelled Games24x7 to the forefront of the online gaming industry. Tridib will continue to spearhead data science & AI teams and enable product teams to create personalized and engaging experiences for players.

Commenting on the announcement, Bhavin Pandya, Co-CEO and Co-founder, Games24x7 said, “Our scientific approach to running business really goes all the way back to our inception and has been the primary force behind our success. We are delighted to announce Tridib's promotion to Chief Data Science & AI Officer. With his expertise and the exceptional talent of our AI and data science team, which has grown significantly over the past five years, we've continuously raised the bar when it comes to offering personalised gameplay experiences including responsible gaming.  We are confident that the organization will continue this tradition of innovation under his leadership, and we wish him the very best as he spearheads our data-driven journey to new heights.”

Tridib Mukherjee, now the Chief Data Science & AI Officer, Games24x7 said, “At Games24x7, we have always worked for the players and our operating ethos of 'Science of Gaming' has been the guiding principle behind every decision we make. Over the past six years, I've had the privilege of working alongside an incredibly talented team dedicated to advancing the frontiers of gaming through the lens of data science. And I look forward to many more years of collaboration and innovation as we continue our mission of leveraging technology to create even more engaging and enjoyable gaming experiences for our users.”

With over two decades of experience and a distinguished academic background, including a PhD in Computer Science & Engineering from Arizona State University, Tridib Mukherjee is uniquely positioned to lead Games24x7's data science initiatives to new heights. His prolific record as an author of over 70 research papers and multiple patents in AI and data sciences reflects his deep expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cloud computing, and more. The talented team at Games24x7, along with Tridib's leadership and award-winning contributions, positions the organization to shape the future direction of the industry and deliver unparalleled gaming experiences to its users.

Games24x7 elevates Tridib Mukherjee as Chief Data Science & AI Officer

Unilever's Chief People and Transformation Officer, Nitin Paranjpe, took to LinkedIn to share a story about defying self-doubt and finding unexpected joys in embracing a personal challenge, even if the results are... well, let's just say entertaining.


“I am musically challenged. I struggle with rhythm; I don’t have any natural talent. Around twenty years ago, I decided to test this. I wanted to see, if you are challenged in a particular field, what can you do with effort and discipline,” he said in his post.


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Almost 20 years ago Paranjpe found someone to teach him the keyboard. “If you want to know the outcome of that study, I still play badly. That’s how I challenged I am,” he said.


But then it was still a win for him because he always thought he wouldn't be able to string together a tune even if he was given the notes. Paranjpe goes on about his tryst with music. 


He didn’t find a lot of success in his learning story but definitely found joy. “Anyone who listens to me today could well say-My god! After so many years you still suck,” he said.


And to that he’d say, “Yeah, and that's okay. You have no idea where I was compared to where I am now.” Paranjpe ended the note with a profound thought. He said, “What started off purely as a challenge has turned out to be a lot of fun.”


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/hul-appoints-vipul-mathur-as-executive-director-personal-care-takes-over-from-madhusudhan-rao-30619.htm">HUL appoints Vipul Mathur as Executive Director, Personal Care</a>

Unilever’s Nitin Paranjpe shares an endearing story about his lack of musical talent

The marketing industry plays a dynamic role in influencing consumer behaviour and fostering economic growth. After the grand success of the first two editions of Storyboard18 Visionaries, held in Gurugram and Bengaluru, the program is now gearing up to be in the city of marketing and creative excellence, Mumbai. 


The third edition of Visionaries to be held on Friday, April 26th will witness some of the biggest names in brand marketing come together to celebrate the brilliance of marketing mavens.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/sustainability-at-heart-and-purpose-defines-the-path-diageos-hina-nagarajan-24779.htm">Sustainability at heart and purpose defines the path: Diageo India's Hina Nagarajan</a> 


Storyboard18 Visionaries celebrates luminaries from the world of brands and marketing who have disrupted and revolutionised the way we approach media and advertising. The Visionaries is a one of its kind platform that presents opportunities for the sharpest minds in the business to convene, celebrate excellence and exchange ideas that power growth. It is a night of gala celebration shaping the future of marketing in India.


The city chapters of Visionaries aim to bring together meaningful conversations, spotlighting path-breaking achievements and future gazing strategies.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/storyboard18-visionaries-britannias-varun-berry-shares-leadership-lessons-24840.htm">Storyboard18 Visionaries: Britannia's Varun Berry shares leadership lessons</a> 


The Mumbai event promises to be an evening to remember, with the coming together of iconic leaders and new-age marketers. The event will feature a keynote address by Bharat Puri, CEO, Pidilite Industries and a special address by Santosh Iyer, MD and CEO, Mercedes-Benz India Pvt Ltd. The evening will spotlight leading marketers from a wide-range of brands including HDFC Bank, P&G, Mercedes, Hindustan Unilever, Visa, L'Oreal, Mondelez, Spotify, UltraTech and Mahindra Group, among others. It will also feature engaging conversations with Nishant Kalra, Country Vice President, Salesforce, and MVS Murthy, CMO, Federal Bank, among others. The Visionaries programme for CXOs and executives brings a ringside view into ways of shaping consumer behaviour.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/storyboard18-visionaries-bengaluru-chapter-blockbuster-celebration-of-marketing-brilliance-24771.htm">Storyboard18 Visionaries - Bengaluru chapter: Blockbuster celebration of marketing brilliance</a> 


The Visionaries programme for CXOs and executives provides unparalleled insights of how the best and brightest function in complex times. So, meet us at the point where cutting-edge ideas and visionary leaders who are changing our approach to media, marketing and advertising, converge to power transformation.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/the-visionaries">The Visionaries</a>

Storyboard18 Visionaries Mumbai Edition is here!: Join the celebration of marketing mavens

CarDekho Group, India’s auto and finance tech solution provider, has announced the appointment of Neelesh Talathi as the group's chief financial officer (CFO). Talathi brings over 20 years of experience in business transformation, financial planning and analysis, equity financing, corporate governance, and mergers and acquisitions etc.


Talathi’s appointment will further bolster the group's progress towards a successful IPO, stated the company. In his new role, he will be tasked with optimising capital allocation, enhancing M&A activities, driving financial planning and analysis, and unlocking new growth opportunities at the group level.


Prior to joining CarDekho, Talathi was associated with Mensa Group of Companies as its CFO. His expertise in navigating capital market volatilities, regulatory landscapes, and compliance requirements across geographies will further strengthen CarDekho’s position in national and international markets. 


Talathi of CarDekho Group, said, “It is an honor for me to take on the role of Chief Financial Officer at CarDekho Group. It is impressive to witness how the Group has sustained continued growth since its inception and changed the outlook of the auto and finance industry with its deep-rooted commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions. Joining them on their journey, I am excited to further strengthen our financial foundation, enhance customer value, and foster sustainable growth.”


Before Mensa Group, Talathi held a leadership role at various leading companies such as Trendsutra Group, the parent company of Pepperfry.com, Vedanta Ltd (India), Unilever (Global, Egypt, Asia-Africa & India) etc.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/cii-elects-itcs-chairman-and-md-sanjiv-puri-as-the-president-32031.htm">CII elects ITC's chairman and MD Sanjiv Puri as the president</a>

CarDekho Group appoints Neelesh Talathi as group CFO

Rajnish Kumar and Mohandas Pai, who were Byju's advisory board members, have decided to move on and to renew their contract which is slated to expire by the end of June.

Kumar and Pai were roped in July 2023 by Byju Raveendran, the edtech firm's chief executive officer, to assist him on crucial subjects. 

Currently, Kumar is the chairman of Mastercard, a role he had assumed in September 2023.

Byju's, which has been embroiled in various legal battles with the investors, also saw the departure of Arjun Mohan, its CEO for India operations in April. Mohan, who was appointed in September 2023, at present, the company's day-to-day functioning, as per a media report, is being looked by Raveendran.

In March, to cost-cut effort and address the imminent liquidity crisis, Byju’s had given up all offices across India, retaining only its headquarters at IBC, Knowledge Park, Bengaluru.

This development came at a time when the company has been engaged in a dispute with its investors regarding the validity of the funds raised from a recently concluded rights issue offering.

As a result of the decision, the company mandated that all employees work from home indefinitely, except for those working out of its headquarters and approximately 300 Byju's Tuition Centres across the country.

This also came at a time when the company had held back part of February salaries for about 75 percent of its employees. The company currently has close to 14,000 employees in India. Byju's, disbursed the payments after delaying it for about 10 days and promised to pay the balance once it is allowed to use the funds from the recently closed rights issue.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/explained-no-end-in-sight-for-byjus-woes-what-went-wrong-18426.htm">Explained: No end in sight for Byju’s woes; what went wrong?</a>

ITC's chairman and managing director, Sanjiv Puri has been elected as the president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Puri succeeds the chairman of TVS Supply Chain Solutions, R Dinesh. The CII announced the new elected office bearers for the year 2024-25 during the meeting of the National Council.

Rajiv Memani, who is the chairman of Ernst & Young's India branch, has been elected as the president - designate, and R Mukundan takes up the role of a vice-president of CII. Mukundan is the managing director and CEO of Tata Chemicals Limited and has a career spanning 33 years with the Tata Group. 

The newly elected office bearers of CII for 2024-25 are set to steer the organisation with their extensive expertise and leadership, continuing to advance the industry’s interests and contribute to the economic growth of India.

Puri started his innings at ITC in 1986. During his career of over three decades at ITC and its subsidiaries, he has held several business leadership positions and also handled a wide range of responsibilities in manufacturing, operations and information & digital technology. He is currently the Chairman & Managing Director of ITC Limited.

Puri was appointed as a Wholetime Director on the Board of ITC with effect from December 6, 2015, Chief Executive Officer in February 2017 and re-designated as the Managing Director in May 2018. He was appointed as the Chairman effective May 13, 2019. He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and the Wharton School of Business, USA.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/itc-reappoints-sanjiv-puri-as-chairman-and-managing-director-10147.htm">ITC reappoints Sanjiv Puri as chairman and managing director</a>

Zee Entertainment’s MD and CEO Punit Goenka is nearing the end of his term in December 2024. With over 15 years at the helm, he’s the company’s longest serving CEO. However there hasn’t been any discussion with shareholders about his reappointment. At the FY 2024 Q4 earnings call on Friday May 17 Goenka said the decision on whether he continues in this role will ultimately be theirs. 

Under his leadership, Zee has navigated various industry challenges and opportunities. Goenka and his father Subhash Chandra who is also the chairman emeritus of the chairman are currently under investigation by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) on allegations of financial misconduct.

On August 14 2023, shortly after the NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) approved the $10 billion Zee-Sony merger, SEBI issued an order barring Zee promoters Punit Goenka and Subhash Chandra from taking on significant management positions within Zee companies or the newly merged entity with Sony. However, on October 30, the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT) overturned SEBI's decision to prohibit Goenka from holding any managerial positions in listed companies for a year.

Even after SEBI’s order and other ongoing legal proceedings Zee promoters continued to express confidence in the merger deal that ultimately collapsed in January 2024. 

Ever since, the company has been through a tough time seeing restructuring, layoffs and strengthening of strategic focus.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/zee-charts-new-course-after-sony-merger-collapse-restructuring-cost-cuts-and-strategic-focus-28552.htm">ZEE's restructuring, layoffs, strategic focus; Punit Goenka charts a new course after Sony-merger collapse</a> 

While the financials for the December quarter of FY24 were being announced, Goenka mentioned chalking out a firm and structured plan to bring back margins. According to his plan the company’s forward looking plan would be centred around three key aspects of frugality, optimisation and sharp focus on quality content.

Cut to months later, at the earning call of the FY 24 Q4 results, Goenka again emphasised on frugality. According to him, the need of the hour is to pivot to business to achieve a balanced cost structure in order to achieve sustained long term growth.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/television/zees-punit-goenka-we-have-to-be-frugal-make-sure-of-buying-right-content-at-the-right-price-31942.htm">ZEE's Punit Goenka: We have to be frugal, make sure of buying right content at the right price </a>

"With that backdrop we are looking at every element of the business with the lens of improving the overall performance. As a result we expect some short term aberration in digital business financial performance."

The next quarter, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) reported a net profit of Rs. 13.35 crore for the quarter that ended March 2024. During the same quarter last year, ZEEL reported a loss of Rs. 196 crore.The company disclosed a total income of Rs 2185.29 crore. This is an increase from Rs. 2126.35 crore that the company reported a year ago during the same period.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/zeel-reports-profit-of-rs-13-35-crore-in-q4fy24-31910.htm">ZEEL reports profit of Rs.13.35 crore in Q4FY24</a>


While the company’s board and shareholders face a crucial decision that could impact the direction of the company, stakeholders are keenly watching for any indications, strategic shifts or continuity plans.

Keep up with all the key people movements in the brand marketing ecosystem in Storyboard18’s CXO Moves. Here’s a round-up of the executives who've moved jobs, got bigger roles, switched industries and more.


Shweta Jain


Previous: Chief business development officer: luxury, reserve & craft - India & South Asia, Diageo


Present: Chief marketing and sales officer, The Leela Group


Shweta Jain joins The Leela Group in a new role. She has worked across Rediffusion DY&R, Gillette India, McCann Worldgroup, Ogilvy, Pernod Ricard India and William Grant & Sons.


Kanika Kalra


Previous: Partner, McKinsey & Company


Present: Regional marketing director - health, South Asia, Reckitt


Reckitt appoints Kanika Kalra in a new role. She has worked across Genpact, Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare Limited, PepsiCo Foods, Hindustan Unilever, Unilever and Snapdeal.


Uday Mohan and R. Venkatasubramanian


Havas Media Network India, the specialised media division of Havas India has announced the elevation of two of its senior leaders. While Uday Mohan steps into the position of chief operating officer of Havas Media India, R. Venkatasubramanian assumes the role of COO of Havas Play.


In his new role as COO, Mohan will spearhead the comprehensive operations and strategic growth initiatives of Havas Media India. Mohan has been instrumental in driving the success of Havas Media India over a span of 16+ years in the agency. 


R. Venkatasubramanian took charge of Havas Play last year when the specialised function was launched in India along with several other countries globally. Under his guidance, Havas Play has championed numerous IPs and initiatives across its sports, content, and entertainment divisions, solidifying its position as a leading player in a highly competitive landscape.


Sanjeev Jain


Present: Chief operating officer, Wipro


Wipro Limited, a technology services and consulting company, announced the appointment of Sanjeev Jain as the chief operating officer, effective immediately. Jain succeeds Amit Choudhary, who is stepping down to pursue opportunities outside the organisation. He will report to Srinivas Pallia and will continue to be a member of Wipro’s Executive Committee.


Toby Jenner


Present: Global president, GroupM Clients, GroupM


GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, today announced the appointment of Toby Jenner as Global President, GroupM Clients. Jenner will assume responsibility for leading GroupM’s global proposition and go to market strategy as well as its growth, marketing, and communications teams and functions. 


Jenner will continue to oversee Wavemaker alongside his expanded remit. He has driven growth and managed operations at GroupM agencies MediaCom and Wavemaker, working across local, regional, and global roles in markets such as Australia, Singapore, the United States, and the United Kingdom.


Kartik Gupta


Previous: Chief financial officer, ANI Technologies


Kartik Gupta moves on from ANI Technologies. He has worked at Procter & Gamble.


Bikramjit Chaudhuri


Previous: Global head of data science and advanced analytics, Datamatics Group of Companies


Present: Chief of measurement science and analytics, BARC India


BARC India appoints Bikramjit Chaudhuri in a new role. Prior to Datamatics, Bikram has held multiple leadership roles, and has led large teams of senior talent across levels at KPMG, Nielsen and ZS Associates.


Menaka Menon


Previous: National strategy head, DDB Mudra Group


Present: President and managing partner - growth and strategy, DDB Mudra, South


DDB Mudra elevates Menaka Menon in a new role. She has worked across Enterprise Nexus, FCB Ulka, JWT, BIG 92.7 FM, UTV, Leo Burnett Orchard and Pensaar Design.


Mukesh Ghuraiya


Previous: Chief marketing officer, Modi Naturals


Mukesh Ghuraiya has moved on from his position. He has worked across Bloomberg TV India, Network18, Lava International, Rado Watch and Philips.


Atul Pai


Previous: Vice president and general manager BA India, Honeywell


Present: Managing director, Honeywell


Honeywell has elevated Atul Pai to a newer role. He has worked across Thermax and Cruise Controls.


Shashi Ranjan


Previous: President and country head, Sebamed India


Present: Managing director, Danone India


Danone India appoints Shashi Ranjan in a new role. He has worked across IBM, McKinsey & Company, and Johnson & Johnson.


Rita Verma


Previous: Head HR - DDB Mudra Group and Interbrand India, Leading - Diversity and Inclusion


Present: Chief talent officer, Omnicom Media Group


Omnicom Media Group has appointed Rita Verma in a new role. She has worked across market solutions, Career Graph and Willis Towers Watson earlier Watson Wyatt Pvt Ltd.


Sanjay Trehan


Previous: Business head- digital content and syndication, HT Media


Present: Advisor, IMAGO


Global content visual provider IMAGO has appointed Sanjay Trehan in a new role. He has worked across Jaldi.com, Times Internet, NDTV, Microsoft, and is also an advisor to EssentiallySports, Digital & New Media Consulting, AdPushup, PwC India and YuktaMedia.


Hetarth Patel


Previous: Vice president - MEA and managing director, UAE, WebEngage


Present: Vice president - growth markets (MEA, Americas, APAC), WebEngage


WebEngage elevates Hetarth Patel in a new role. He has worked across Idea Cellular, Comverse, Telenity and Oracle.


Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

CXO Moves: Exec movements across Diageo, Reckitt, Ola Cabs, Havas Media, GroupM and more

Wipro Limited, a technology services and consulting company, announced the appointment of Sanjeev Jain as the chief operating officer, effective immediately. Jain succeeds Amit Choudhary, who is stepping down to pursue opportunities outside the organisation. He will report to Srinivas Pallia and will continue to be a member of Wipro’s Executive Committee.

He will be based in Bengaluru.

Jain joined Wipro in 2023 as the global head of business operations. He has led large, diverse teams, scaling up global operations, and deploying Lean Six Sigma and design thinking principles.

Over the past year, Jain has been leading Wipro’s talent supply chain, including Wipro’s gig work platform, TopGear, as well as talent skilling, global mobility, talent acquisition, and business resilience functions. He has played a key leadership role in the development and deployment of Wipro’s AI training and upskilling strategy.

As COO, Jain will be responsible for continuing Wipro’s journey of building a client-centric delivery organization focused on driving sustainable, profitable, and delivery-led growth. He will oversee global business operations, the chief information office, the chief information security office, and the enterprise risk management function and continue to work closely with Wipro’s leadership teams across the organisation on transformation initiatives.

“In the short time that Sanjeev has been with Wipro, he has developed strong relationships with on-the-ground delivery teams and made a significant impact on our strategic thinking and execution prowess,” said Srinivas Pallia, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Wipro Limited. “Under his leadership, we’ve built out our approach to AI training and upskilling and trained over 225,000 of our people in AI principles. Sanjeev has also been instrumental in devising our career development strategy for next-gen associates and significantly enhancing our utilization. As COO, he will be responsible for continuing to simplify our operating model, building a client-centric delivery organization, and driving operational excellence with a focus on execution rigor and speed.

“I would like to thank Amit for his leadership over the last two years and for building a strong operations foundation and structure that will be invaluable as we move forward. Amit will be with us until the end of May, working closely with Sanjeev and me to ensure a smooth transition.”

Commenting on his appointment, Jain said, “I am honored and excited to take on the role of Chief Operating Officer. I look forward to further strengthening our operational and delivery capabilities to bring more value to our clients.” 

Prior to joining Wipro, Jain held leadership roles at Kyndryl Holdings (IBM spin-off), IBM, Cognizant, and GE. In his previous roles, he enabled profitable growth by integrating the end-to-end talent supply chain, driving margin expansion, simplifying processes, and strengthening the operating rhythm.



Wipro appoints Sanjeev Jain as chief operating officer

Shweta Jain has joined hospitality major The Leela Group as chief marketing and sales officer. Jain was the chief business development officer: Luxury Reserve and Craft – India and South Asia at Diageo. 

Jain who is also a member Board of Directors, Nao Spirits and Beverages Private Ltd, was with Diageo for over six years working across teams. Prior to Diageo, she was the head of marketing at William Grant & Sons. Jain has also worked in companies like ShopsClues, Pernod Ricard India, Ogilvy, McCann Worldgroup, Gillette India, Rediffusion DY&R.

Headquartered in Mumbai, the Leela brand today, is owned by a Brookfield Asset Management-sponsored private real estate fund and operates twelve award-winning properties in major cities and leisure destinations across India. These include the flagship hotel in the capital city of New Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Udaipur, Jaipur, Gurugram, East Delhi, Mumbai, Gandhinagar and Kovalam and Ashtamudi in Kerala. 

The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts was voted the World’s Best Hotel Brand twice in a row by Travel + Leisure, USA, World’s Best Awards Survey, 2020 and 2021. In 2023, the brand was once again featured in the top 3 World’s Best Hotel Brands. The brand has a marketing alliance with US-based Preferred Hotels & Resorts and is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/reckitt-appoints-kanika-kalra-as-regional-marketing-director-health-nutrition-31744.htm">Reckitt appoints Kanika Kalra as Regional Marketing Director – Health & Nutrition</a>

Shweta Jain joins The Leela Group as the chief marketing and sales officer

DDB Mudra Group elevates Menaka Menon, current National Strategy Head, to take on the role of leading the south office. She will lead operations and strategic thinking for clients based out of the Bengaluru office. 

Ranji Cherian who ran and scaled the south office for over 16 years will now lead Client Excellence at the group.

Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group, said, “We believe that everything we do is built on strong strategic pillars; be it our work or how we do our work. In her new role, Menaka will use her strategic background to add more value to our client’s business, while building a strong culture of creativity in the office. Over the last few years, some of our best work has come from our South office and I’m really excited to work with Menaka to push us to newer heights.”

Menaka Menon said, “I am super excited about this new role and look forward to further strengthening the South operation and building a strong, closely knit team, geared towards creating great work that has the power to move people.”

With over 23 years of experience in business and strategy, she has experience across advertising, broadcast media and strategic consulting. Menaka has spent over 15 years in advertising with stints at agencies such as FCB, VML, and Leo Burnett.
 


Menaka Menon takes charge as president and managing partner - growth and strategy of DDB Mudra South

IMAGO, a global visual content provider headquartered in Berlin appoints Sanjay Trehan in an advisory role. Trehan is a seasoned digital and new media consultant and provides guidance to companies in the areas of digital media, marketing, adtech, content and subscription.

As Storyboard18 reached out to Trehan, he said, "India is a content rich market and a visual content player like Imago, which is a top-notch global player, would find a lot of opportunities in the growing Indian market. So, it’s an opportune time to look at content-guzzler India closely.”

Sophie Romeiss, chief operating officer (COO) at IMAGO, commented, “This collaboration with Sanjay, a digital media pioneer and expert, is set to mark a significant step forward in our commitment to expanding our reach and providing world-class services in dynamic markets such as India. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will bring and look forward to growing together.”

Trehan is currently associated with AdPushup and YuktaMedia, and also offers advisory services to PwC India's technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) practice. Prior to this, Trehan held executive positions at media organisations such as HT Media, Times Internet and NDTV, as well as spearheading initiatives at MSN at Microsoft India. He crafted their GTM strategies for global partnerships and facilitated expansion efforts. 

He also mentors emerging businesses, aiding them in scaling operations, enhancing audience engagement, and exploring innovative revenue channels.

IMAGO is a global visual content provider with headquarters in Berlin. Over 500 million images and videos from News, Sports, Entertainment and Creative can be licensed through IMAGO. Founded in 1997 in Berlin, IMAGO offers many years of expertise and solution-oriented customer service through personal contacts, daily availability from 6 am to midnight, commissioned photography, photo and video research, image selections, FTP feeds and newsletters for inspiration. IMAGO provides solutions for every need. Content can be licensed with one click via our webshop and larger projects can be implemented easily and successfully with our individual enterprise solutions.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/barc-appoints-dr-bikramjit-chaudhuri-as-its-new-chief-of-measurement-science-and-analytics-31868.htm">BARC appoints Dr Bikramjit Chaudhuri as its new chief of measurement science and analytics</a>

Sanjay Trehan joins as advisor for global visual content provider IMAGO

Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India has announced the appointment of Dr Bikramjit Chaudhuri as its new Chief of Measurement Science and Analytics. 

He will succeed Dr Derrick Gray, a veteran audience measurement and advanced analytics executive, who has been a member of BARC India for six years.

Dr Bikramjit Chaudhuri (Bikram) is a Ph.D. from IIT Bombay and holds a Master of Statistics degree from the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi. He comes in with experience spanning over three decades in the areas of Statistics, Stochastic Modelling, Market Measurement, Consumer Segmentation, AI and ML, Demand Forecasting and Big Data Analytics. He has several research papers, publications, and patents in these aspects under his belt.

Bikram is currently associated with the Datamatics Group of Companies as the Global Head of Data Science and Advanced Analytics, since 2016. Prior to Datamatics, Bikram has held multiple leadership roles, and has led large teams of senior talent across levels at KPMG, Nielsen and ZS Associates.

Chaudhari said, "I am excited to join BARC India as the Chief of Measurement Science & Analytics. It will be an absolute honour and privilege to be a part of a multitalented and versatile team that runs the largest Audience Measurement system in the world, in one of the most complex multimedia markets. I am looking forward to leveraging my deep expertise and diverse experience to further evolve the current measurement system to meet the growing needs of the industry. Looking forward to an exhilarating journey and a fulfilling association with BARC India."

Nakul Chopra, Chief Executive Officer, BARC India, said, “Derrick has been a wonderful partner, a mentor and a friend to numerous individuals and industry peers. We congratulate him as he embraces his next adventure and wish him nothing but the absolute best. In his stead, I’m happy to welcome Bikram to the BARC India family. He brings deep knowledge and rich expertise in Big Data, Research and Business Intelligence. I’m confident that with his strategic vision and passion for excellence, he will not only uphold the legacy Derrick leaves us with, but also help navigate our future in this fast-evolving environment.”



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