Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints ex-Unilever VP Rohit Bhasin as president and CMO

Financial services company Kotak Mahindra Bank has appointed Rohit Bhasin as the president and chief marketing officer. Bhasin steps into the shoes of Karthi Marshan who looked after the operations for the last 16 years, and will manage the bank’s marketing, corporate communication and media initiatives.

In an exclusive interview with Storyboard18 when Marshan had announced his plans to move on from his role, he said, “You know, before Kotak, I was the proverbial rolling stone. I couldn’t stay longer than three years in any role, some I left within nine months as well. I was the headhunter’s nightmare and I never got a job through one, for that reason, perhaps. But at Kotak, in the blink of an eye, I had crossed the 16-year mark. Largely, I think, because it was like seven roles in one.”

He added, “The cherry on the cake is that every single colleague has a voice, no matter our role or place in the pecking order. Having said that, I felt that it was time for me to challenge myself now, push myself out of my comfort zone and try my hand at a few new things. I’m keen to see if my experience is of use to start-ups, SMEs, NGOs, students, etc.”

Bhasin, who is armed with an experience of more than two decades, started his career at Unilever and took up the role of the area sales manager. Over the years, he held roles in various capacities at the company. His last role was as the global vice president - Ponds. He led the brand’s global business which is Unilever’s flagship beauty brand, and operates in 52 countries. He drove brand strategy, positioning, innovation (NPD), advertising, digital marketing and commerce. He also delivered the brand’s global P&L.

Bhasin holds a bachelors in engineering from Delhi College of Engineering, and a masters in business administration specialising in marketing and sales from the Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi.