PepsiCo has elevated Tarun Bhagat to the role of chief marketing officer, India and South Asia - India beverages. Prior to this, he was the senior director - marketing of Mountain Dew, 7Up, Mirinda - international beverages. 


Bhagat is armed with an experience of 19 years and he started his career at LG Electronics as product manager - refrigerators, overseas sales and marketing. Then, he rose to the ranks to handle the position of communication manager - air conditioners. From there, he moved to United Breweries as group product manager - Kingfisher beer, and then at PepsiCo, he started off as assistant brand manager, and looked into the brand management of Pepsi in India.


He got promoted as the general manager and was also the brand manager for Mountain Dew. He held roles in various capacities and has held the roles of vice president -marketing, associate director where he looked into Quaker India, and then Lay’s. As a brand director, he concentrated on Pepsi, Gatorade and Aquafina.


Bhagat holds a masters in international business, marketing from Symbiosis, and has done varied online courses from Harvard Business School Online.



PepsiCo promotes Tarun Bhagat as CMO, India and South Asia, beverages

Previously, Tarun Bhagat was the senior director - marketing - Mountain Dew, 7Up and Mirinda at PepsiCo.

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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

The Derma Co., an active ingredient backed skincare brand from Honasa Consumer Limited, marked a milestone of achieving an annual revenue rate of INR 500 crore. "This achievement underscores Honasa Consumers’ capabilities to craft and scale new brands with strategic innovations, delivering exceptional skincare solutions to consumers across India," Honasa Consumer said in a statement. The milestone demonstrate the strength of the brand's on-trend, data-based innovation strategy, the company stated. 

Its focus on leveraging data for product innovation and responding swiftly to emerging trends continues to be a cornerstone of the strategy, the company added. 

Commenting on this milestone, Varun Alagh, Co-Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Honasa Consumer Limited, says “The Derma Co.'s remarkable achievement of INR 500 crore annual run rate is a strong testament to our strategic brand-building approach at Honasa Consumer Limited. Our success is an output of in-depth consumer study of the evolving consumer demands and being able to innovate swiftly to deliver differentiated propositions to our consumers. This focus on excellence has helped us set new benchmarks across the active ingredient-based skincare segment. At Honasa, we are committed to continue our quest towards fueling our innovations and offer brands that serve the evolving consumer demands.”

Last month, Honasa Consumer Limited, the parent of Mamaearth, also launched ‘Staze’, a colour cosmetic line in a bid to enter the segment currently dominated by the likes of L'Oreal, Lakme, Sugar. “Staze is poised to carve its niche with a distinct emphasis on performance and innovation. We firmly believe that Gen Z consumers, who are seeking value and innovation, and Staze is uniquely positioned to meet and exceed their expectations", said Ghazal Alagh, Chief Innovation Officer, Honasa Consumer Ltd.

Varun Alagh added, “Honasa has always been at the forefront of innovation and being the pioneers in the BPC industry, we recognised a vital opportunity to address the burgeoning demand for innovative yet accessible colour cosmetics. And with the colour cosmetics segment boasting a remarkable CAGR of 12 percent and a substantial size of Rs 15,000 crore, it became evident that there was a gap in the market. These factors paved the way for Staze…”



Mamaearth-maker Honasa Consumer's second brand, The Derma Co., enters the Rs 500 crore ARR club

For Nidhi Mehta, director - finance, GOZOOP Group, Chief Financial Officers’ role extends beyond traditional finance boundaries. They are responsible for the finance and accounting professionals who perform operational functions and services in a strategic advisory role to the CEO and the rest of the C-suite peers. 


In a conversation with Storyboard18, she added, “A CFO's role commands a lot of respect in the ad agency as they advise other department heads, assist them in maximising revenues and controlling expenses without sacrificing customer needs and the agency's reputation.”


Edited Excerpts


Tell us about your career trajectory and journey. Where and how you started and what got you here.


I am a chartered accountant by profession. Post my three-year article ship, this is my first corporate job at GOZOOP Group. Years back I had not heard of GOZOOP but there was definitely a vibe when I entered the office for an interview. 


Digital Marketing was a thriving industry then and the core management at GOZOOP was impressive. The job profile offered was perfect and hence, there were no second thoughts. It's been years since that decision and since then there has been no looking back. 


What led you to join the advertising agency ecosystem in finance? What were your initial impressions and thoughts of the ad agency business? 


Advertising is always an exciting industry. In this new emerging era, where there is a wave of entrepreneurship and brand building, marketing today plays the most pivotal role for any new business start-up. Digital marketing helps thousands of new business entrepreneurs push boundaries and drive impact. 


How has the role of a CFO in an ad agency changed over the years? What does the job entail today? Where have you seen the biggest changes in what the role and function mean to the business? 


The CFO's role is extending beyond traditional finance boundaries and an increasing number of finance leaders view it as a pathway to the CEO position. The modern CFO is aspirational. 


Once mere observers in the boardroom, they are now crafting long-term strategies that ensure organisational stability. They are integral members of the top executive team, possessing a profound understanding of the company's vision. 


How do other departments and functions in the agency view the role of the CFO and the finance function? 


A CFO's and finance team's role in an ad agency is viewed as the most challenging role as they oversee the company's financial activities. This includes being responsible for the finance and accounting professionals who perform operational functions and services in a strategic advisory role to the CEO and the rest of the C-suite peers. 


A CFO's role commands a lot of respect in the ad agency as they advise other department heads, assist them in maximising revenues and controlling expenses without sacrificing customer needs and the agency's reputation.


How has the agency business model evolved? What have been the key changes and disruptions according to you and the impact of these shifts on the ad agency business model? 


Advertising agencies have evolved by leaps and bounds. It began with a simple printed ad in a newspaper and evolved into radio and television, commercials, billboards and digital advertising in the modern era. Advertising techniques have also become more sophisticated, incorporating psychology and consumer behaviour studies to create persuasive and effective campaigns.

 
Agencies are facing threats from all places. Is the business model future-ready? 


It is definitely future-ready as today the focus has shifted from the product to address consumer needs. With the emergence of new technologies and data-driven approaches, agencies can remain indispensable by tapping into this potential. 


However, with the pace of changes happening across the industry, agencies that do not develop a framework and plan for modernising their operational model that's inclusive of AI and technology will likely encounter increased challenges with both client and talent retention. 


From your observation, do you see any gender inequality or disparity in the finance function across levels? Agency leadership has traditionally been male dominated and advertising was seen as a boys club. Does that hold true for finance as well and the CFOs in advertising?


Not at all. The finance department at GOZOOP was and is always driven by women leadership. As far as the industry is concerned, there are several factors that lead to one's leadership goal.


What are the steps ad agencies must take to advance CFOs' role in advertising?


Agencies should enhance better communication between CFOs and other departmental heads. Regular meetings between them are needed to negotiate and discuss expenses and budgets that are aligned to the company's goals. 


A CFO should be made an integral part of all important decision-making of the agency as finance and marketers think and behave very differently. A combination of their brainstorming where marketers are driven by creativity and finance is driven by numbers and budgets could lead to some amazing outcomes for both the client and the agency.


What according to you are the biggest threats facing the advertising agency business today?

In-housing and talent retention are two of the biggest pressures that agencies face today. The threat remains that a brand will bring certain functions in-house, leaving agencies without that business. Brands are in-house because they believe they can do better work in a cheaper, faster and more transparent way. The other big issue is around both recruitment and retention of talent. There has always been volatility for agencies around talent. 


What are the trends you are currently witnessing in advertising, and what is the role of a CFO in such a scenario?


The rapid emergence of AI and the increasing role of technology within business operations is the current trend. CFOs should follow a test-and-learn approach where with their ability they are ready to take a smart risk and foresee how certain trends will impact their business. 


They should encourage the team to begin taking steps now to experiment with AI, explore how technology can drive operational value for the business, and help them understand how internal talent is spending their time and how to maximise their value for the business. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/managing-your-mind-at-work-and-beyond-isnt-easy-it-takes-a-lot-of-maturity-and-wisdom-says-bajaj-autos-deepika-warrier-16913.htm">Managing your mind at work and beyond isn't easy; it takes a lot of maturity and wisdom, says Bajaj Auto’s Deepika Warrier</a>

CFOs breaking boundaries, crafting long-term strategies for organisational stability: Nidhi Mehta, GOZOOP Group

Anupam Mittal, the founder and CEO of People Group and Shaadi.com, and a prominent investor on Shark Tank India, is widely recognized for his strategic investments in renowned startups and unicorn companies such as Ola Cabs, BigBasket, Druva, among others. Mittal is also one of the leading voices to take on big tech firms like Google and Meta, slamming them for their "unfair" monopolistic practices in markets like India. 

On April 9, Meta "arbitrarily" disabled his company's account, prompting Mittal to call out the Mark Zuckerberg-led company on social media. Mittal also tagged Meta's India operations' head Sandhya Devanathan in the post. 

A frustrated Mittal said, "So, shockingly our Meta account was arbitrarily disabled this morning with nobody in the know or able to help, even at our scale. This is the dysfunction of Big Tech & monopolies, something hashtag#cci must take note of. Sandhya Devanathan" 

Netizens chimed in with sympathies and suggestions. Relating to Mittal's frustration users said Meta is "only sale no support" while some urged Mittal to assemble all the Sharks and create their own Made-in-India social media platform like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. 

When Mittal took on Google 

On March 1, Google announced it would remove apps from 10 Indian developers, including Shaadi.com, Naukri.com, jeevansathi.com, and Bharat Matrimony, from its Play Store in India for non-compliance with its billing policies. Among the most prominent voices that spoke out against Google's practices, was Anupam Mittal. 

“Today is a dark day for India Internet,” Mittal said as he came out hitting hard against Google’s action of delisting Indian apps. 

Mittal wrote on X, “Google has delisted major apps from its app store even though legal hearings are underway @CCI_India & @indSupremeCourt Their false narratives & audacity show they have little regard for India. Make no mistake - this is the new Digital East India Co and this #Lagaan must be stopped! Pls RT and #SaveOurStartups”.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/anupam-mittal-asks-is-google-evil-as-the-battle-between-google-and-indian-app-developers-rages-on-25363.htm">Read more: Anupam Mittal asks, "Is Google evil?", as the battle between Google and Indian app developers rages on</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/interactive-avenues-anupam-mittals-first-investment-as-an-angel-investor-25997.htm">Read more: Interactive Avenues: Anupam Mittal’s first investment as an angel investor</a>

Angry Mittal?: Anupam Mittal "shocked" after Meta disables his company's account

DTDC Express Ltd., a leading express logistics provider in India has elevated Abhishek Chakraborty as its Chief Executive Officer. In his new role, Chakraborty will continue to propel DTDC forward, solidifying its position as a front-runner in the logistics industry with the aim to drive substantial growth and innovation for the company.

Chakraborty said: “Encapsulating our direction of “Building a NextGen DTDC for GenNext DTDCians”,... together we will continue to foster a culture of shared success and excellence.”

Before assuming the role of CEO, Chakraborty led DTDC as Executive Director for 15 years. He played a pivotal role in establishing a strategic partnership between DTDC and Geopost (owned by La Poste). He also spearheaded the DTDC and Amarex partnership and introduced many initiatives like launching the MyDTDC app and introducing DTDCShipAssure™, DTDC’s 100 percent money-back guarantee service that enabled the company to achieve new heights. His strategic leadership expanded the company’s network to 16,000+ partners, serving 96 percent of India’s population and the larger South Asian diaspora globally.

DTDC operates India’s largest physically accessible express logistics Network and has over 16,000+ exclusive channel partners that contribute to its sales and service capabilities.

DTDC Express promotes Abhishek Chakraborty to the CEO position

MakeMyTrip has achieved a significant milestone in its two-decade-long journey by becoming accessible worldwide, the company said in an announcement this week. 

MakeMyTrip has now expanded its reach to over 150 countries, including major travel markets such as the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, France, and others, besides the US and the UAE. 

“The rigorous standards of compliance and commitment to data protection we have in place for our Indian business helped us transition smoothly towards stringent international compliances,” said Rajesh Magow, co-founder and chief executive officer of MakeMyTrip.

“We are indebted to the trust and affection that we have received from Indian travelers for over two decades and continue to hold ourselves to higher standards and standard operating procedures (SOPs) on a regular basis. Our decision to make MakeMyTrip accessible globally is a result of this very goal – testing our processes against rigorous protocols across the world to enable our travelers to book or modify their travel purchases on the platform without any roadblocks wherever they are geographically,” he said.

MakeMyTrip said the platform has also ensured compliance with various international regulations, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), to accomplish this expansion.

Magow added, “Our global accessibility will help us reach the vast Indian diaspora. Importantly, this expansion will enable us to cater to a broader audience, fostering increased inbound travel to India. Our extensive coverage, offering accommodations in more than 2,000 cities, will assist international tourists in discovering the hidden gems of India.”




MakeMyTrip CEO on expansion in 150 countries: Global accessibility will help MMT reach Indian diaspora

When Storyboard18 asked Maruti Suzuki's Shashank Srivastava what interests him outside of work, he said, "My hobby is chess, and I make it a point to keep up with the latest trends in the game." He told us, "It not only helps me focus on something other than work, but also, chess is a great game which involves a lot of planning. It involves a lot of discipline." Discipline and planning are what he seems to have perfected at Maruti Suzuki India, a firm known for its meticulous planning and emphasis on discipline given the brand's Japanese lineage and influence. 

 
On March 27, the auto major elevated Shashank Srivastava from the position of Head – Marketing and Sales to ‘Member Executive Committee’. In many ways, it's an end of an era in the marketing world, as Srivastava moves on from his current role and into an advisory one as part of a core leadership group. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/watch-listen/media-dialogues-with-storyboard18-maintaining-continuity-in-change-maruti-suzuki-mindshare-drive-ahead-19528.htm">Media Dialogues with Storyboard18: Maintaining continuity In change, Maruti-Suzuki & Mindshare drive ahead</a>


A Maruti lifer, Srivastava is a leading figure in the Indian business and marketing world, having led the country's top carmaker as its sales and marketing boss for several years. Srivastava started his career at the automotive company in 1989. It was his first job after graduating from Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A). Holding a bachelor's degree in telecommunication and electronics engineering from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Bhopal, he joined IIM-A in 1987. Despite having offers from the Asian Paints and Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Srivastava was very clear that his path lay in the automotive industry and with Maruti Suzuki. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/maruti-suzukis-shashank-srivastava-it-is-crucial-to-celebrate-achievements-to-foster-a-positive-work-environment-15928.htm">Maruti Suzuki’s Shashank Srivastava: It is crucial to celebrate achievements to foster a positive work environment</a> 


Srivastava, the marketing maven who is an avid reader of books on science and especially quantum physics, has been a strong proponent for constant learning and adapting with the times. He emphasised empowering his team members through collaboration and communication. “My intention is to help others succeed and become leaders in their own right. True leadership is, therefore, not about being in charge but inspiring and guiding others to achieve their full potential,” he said. It is about creating a culture of continuous learning and development; “When we invest in our colleagues’ growth and development, we develop better leaders and build a more substantial organisation.” 


In a previous conversation with Storyboard18, when asked about a work and life hack he swears by, Srivastava had said,"Time boxing is a very powerful productive technique. What you do is you schedule specific blocks of time for different tasks. That's something which optimises efficiency. For a life hack, I would say, practice gratitude. It significantly improves one's overall well-being. If one is grateful for what you have, big or small, it helps you appreciate the good things, and makes you feel better." 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/marutis-shashank-srivastava-on-why-indians-no-longer-need-to-kick-tyres-or-smell-leather-to-buy-cars-4932.htm">Maruti’s Shashank Srivastava on why Indians no longer need to kick tyres or smell leather to buy cars</a>

Maruti's former marketing boss Shashank Srivastava keeps this quote in his diary

Gangu Ramsay, cinematographer, filmmaker, and one of the seven Ramsay Brothers has passed away at the age of 83. Ramsay was known for producing horror films like ‘Purani Haveli’ and ‘Tehkhana’. 


In the 1970s and 1980s, Ramsay Brothers—originally known as Ramsinghani—began to make a string of B-grade films in the horror genre. The films, which highlighted vampires, werewolves, zombies, etc became popular for showcasing a mix of horror and erotica.


Gangu had also worked in television, with shows such as "The Zee Horror Show", "Saturday Suspense", "X Zone" and "Nagin" to his credit, as stated by a CNBC-TV18 report.


Some of his other films that he produced include Veerana, Bandh Darwaza, Do Gaz Zameen Ke Neeche.


In the book ‘In A Cult of Their Own: Bollywood Beyond Box Office’, writer Amborish Roychoudhury explained how each and every aspect of filmmaking was handled by the Ramsay brothers, highlighted an ET report.


Kumar penned scripts, Kiran composed sounds, Gangu was the cameraman, Keshu assisted with cinematography, and Arjun took care of post-production and editing. Direction was handled by Tulsi and Shyam, the report further stated.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/unacademys-former-cmo-karan-shroff-joins-lightfury-games-as-ceo-28509.htm">Unacademy’s former CMO Karan Shroff sets up LightFury Games</a>

Gangu Ramsay, one of the seven Ramsay Brothers passes away at 83

Sanjay Nayar, a well-known name in the global financial markets and Founder and Chairman, Sorin Investment Fund, has taken over as President of the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM). Nayar is married to Nykaa's CEO and founder Falguni Nayar.
 
Nayar brings an experience of four decades in global financial and capital markets, including 25 years at Citi and nearly 14 at KKR, before retiring last year. He established KKR India operations in 2009 after leaving Citigroup. At KKR, Sanjay led investments of around USD 14 Billion in Private Equity, Real Estate, Infrastructure, and Credit with Private equity being the largest at approximately USD 10 billion valuation. He has worked across senior leadership positions in Citigroup for 25 years in India, UK, and USA. He served as the CEO of Citigroup's Indian and South Asian operations and was a member of Citigroup’s Global Management Committee and Asia Executive Operating Committee.

He serves as a Non-Executive Director at the new-age E-commerce company NYKAA founded by him and his wife Falguni Nayar. He was recently appointed as a non-official member of the Board of Trade, Government of India, representing the private sector, and is a member of the National Startup Advisory Council. He is also a member of the Board of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), the Governing Board of the Indian School of Business (ISB), a member of the Advisory Board of Habitat for Humanity, Chairman of Grameen Impact Investments India (GIII); and Founder – Board Member of Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP).


Nayar said, "It is indeed a great honor for me to be elected as the President of ASSOCHAM, the apex institution with a history of over 100 years in its service to the Nation. During my Presidency, my ASSOCHAM colleagues and I will work closely with the government on the visionary goal of our Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for India to become a developed nation with a multi-fold increase in the country's per capita income and continuation of bold economic growth. I look forward to supporting the efforts being made by the industry to achieve the country’s sustainability goals." 


"India remains a bright spot in the global economy and we must leverage this position further. Given the recent success of Startup Mahakumbh led by ASSOCHAM, I look forward to catalyzing the startup culture backed by private and public savings”, he said.


“ASSOCHAM would continue to play a pro-active role in the endeavour of nation building. Aligned with its four growth pillars, I look forward to furthering efforts to facilitate the MSME segment, through improved financing and digitization. The Chamber would remain an active partner of the government in the policy formulations for inclusive growth with a sense of social responsibility", said Nayar.

 

Sanjay Nayar takes over as ASSOCHAM President

Billionaire Elon Musk told his his almost 180 million followers on X (known as Twitter in the pre-Musk era) that he’s off to a new job at Disney.

The Tesla and X owner wrote: “Excited to join Disney as their Chief DEI Officer. Can’t wait to work with Bob Iger & Kathleen Kennedy to make their content MORE woke!

“Even the linguini.”

The April Fool's Day joke doubled up as a jab at Disney chief Bob Iger. 

Musk and Iger have been feuding since Disney joined 200 major advertisers including IBM and Apple to leave X in November 2023 after Musk's endorsement of an antisemitic post. 

“The association with that position, Elon Musk and X was not necessarily a positive one for us,” Iger later said at an event.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/elon-musks-x-facing-an-exodus-of-employees-18392.htm">Read more: Elon Musk's X facing an exodus of employees</a>

In December 2023, during an interview at The New York Times’ DealBook summit, Musk said that the advertisers who had boycotted the platform could go to hell. “Don’t advertise,” he said before hitting out at Iger specifically. “If someone is going to try to blackmail me with advertising? Blackmail me with money? Go f*** yourself. Go f*** yourself, is that clear? Hey, Bob, if you’re in the audience. That’s how I feel, don’t advertise.” 

A week later, he took to X to say that Iger should be “fired immediately” and that “Walt Disney is turning in his grave over what Bob has done to his company.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/elon-musk-sues-microsoft-backed-openai-and-sam-altman-under-claims-of-breach-of-contract-25117.htm">Read more: Elon Musk sues Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Sam Altman under claims of breach of contract</a>

Musk has also openly criticized Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies at major companies like Disney. Musk has previously slammed DEI policies as ‘institutionalised racism and sexism’. Earlier this year, he said he would help actor Gina Carano fight her lawsuit against Disney after she was fired from her role in “The Mandalorian” due to controversial social media posts about the Holocaust, the pandemic and trans rights. 

However, Musk's 2024 April Fool's Day post appears to have been recycled from one shared by podcaster Konstantin Kisin. A few minutes before Musk made his joke, Kisin had written: "As of today, I am resigning from TRIGGERnometry. The opportunity to join the BBC as Chief Diversity Officer is an opportunity I simply couldn't turn down." 

Musk replied to Kisin's joke with a single crying-with-laughter emoji.

Fool's Day: Elon Musk says he’s joining Disney to make it more 'woke', in a "recycled" joke

Sameekha Uniyal, who led Bacardi as marketing controller, has been elevated to the position of regional head - brand. 


She started her career at Big River Radio, and went on to work across Sony Entertainment Television, Maxus and Viacom18.


As the account director at Viacom18, Uniyal worked with the key accounts team for the biggest youth platform in the country – MTV networks. It involved strategising on specific briefs from the client to provide solutions across TV, Digital and Live Media. Her deliverables included concept generation, content planning, revenue generation and effective execution of the idea. Some of the key clients Uniyal worked with were : Coca- Cola, Pepsi Co, Pernod Ricard, Bacardi and Maruti Suzuki.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/hul-restructures-its-management-committee-elevates-bp-biddappa-and-anuradha-razdan-29921.htm">HUL restructures its management committee; elevates BP Biddappa and Anuradha Razdan</a>

Bacardi elevates Sameeksha Uniyal as regional head - brand

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), announced a key change in its Management Committee.


BP Biddappa will join the HUL Management Committee as executive director, human resources and chief people, transformation and sustainability officer for South Asia. Biddappa will also join the HUL Board as a whole time director, subject to shareholder approval. In this role, he will lead the people agenda for South Asia as well as drive the transformation interventions from a business, organisation, and sustainability perspective.


Anuradha Razdan, currently executive director, human resources, HUL and chief HR officer, South Asia will be appointed to a global role as chief reward & organisation development officer for Unilever. This change will be effective June 1, 2024.


Biddappa is currently the Chief HR Officer for Global Home Care and Head, Global Employee Relations for Unilever. He started his over three-decade-long career in Unilever with a factory stint in HUL and then moved on to undertake a variety of roles, from leadership development to business partnering, across several Unilever businesses and led HR for Unilever in Maghreb, Bangladesh, and India. 


During his last stint in HUL, he was instrumental in setting up the Winning in Many Indias approach, creating a more agile and focused business unit framework in South Asia and launching the Prabhat community development program that has, till date, impacted over 10 million Indians. Over the last five years, he has led two critical expertise functions for Unilever globally – Organization Development & People Analytics and Global Employee Relations. He also helped set up and build the Health and Wellbeing business for Unilever as well as the Unilever Professionals business.


Razdan has been the executive director, HR at HUL and CHRO for South Asia for the last five years. During her tenure, she helped the business navigate the COVID pandemic. Under her leadership, the Company completed the seamless people integration for the HUL-GSK CH merger. Being a strong advocate for inclusion, she led the company towards its ambition of being a gender balanced organisation – launching multi-year programmes, like Ahilya and Samavesh, to improve gender balance in traditionally male bastions such as Sales and the Factory shopfloor. During her tenure, HUL has consistently been chosen as the Employer of Choice.


Welcoming Biddappa back to India, Rohit Jawa, CEO and managing director, HUL said, “An accomplished HR leader with over three decades of experience, Biddappa comes with immense knowledge of transformation and organisational development. I am glad to welcome him to the HUL Leadership and I am confident that his able guidance and leadership will help transform the business to progress further on our future-fit agenda.”


Thanking Anuradha for her contribution to the business, Jawa said, “Anuradha is known for her ability to shape and deliver a strategic business-focused people agenda. She has played a key role in the HUL Leadership Team over the past five years. Her appointment to a senior leadership role for Unilever is yet another testimony to the powerhouse of talent we have in India.”


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/hul-ceo-rohit-jawa-weve-embarked-on-a-journey-of-transform-to-outperform-to-serve-evolving-aspirations-of-indian-consumers-29881.htm">HUL CEO Rohit Jawa: We've embarked on a journey of 'Transform to Outperform' to serve evolving aspirations of Indian consumers</a>

Saurabh Kundra, who led AGL - Hakuhodo as associate director, has been appointed by Omnicom Media Group as business director - investment.

Kundra started his career Businessworld and went on to work across sharekhan, Ogilvy & Mather and Essence.

As the associate of operations and analytics at O&M, Kundra led ad trafficking and QA digital campaigns for clients in different European countries (ES/FR/DE and UK). He created reports to monitor campaign delivery and to communicate relevant metrics to account management team. He worked collaboratively with account managers to recommend campaign modifications and leveraging understanding of advertiser and product performance. He created and managed campaigns on various tools like DCM, Sizmek, Adform, Tradedoubler, AWIN & GTM.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/swiggys-pratip-mazumder-joins-indrive-as-country-manager-india-29797.htm">Swiggy's Pratip Mazumder joins inDrive as country manager - India</a>

LS Digita has appointed Vishal Sharma as their new Deputy Vice President (DVP) of Media Buying and Trading. With experience of over 18 years across various industries, Sharma brings expertise in buying and trading as well as vendor management, digital marketing, strategy building for performance marketing, and branding planning. His expertise will be instrumental in enhancing the Media Buying division at LS Digital.

Prior to LS Digital, Sharma was part of GroupM India Private Limited for eight years, playing multiple roles in the media partnerships unit; from being Director Performance to Director Buying and Trading to Senior Investment Director. 

Before GroupM, Sharma was at Netcore Solutions Pvt Ltd, where he introduced a new business division called “Affiliate Program”, which was a performance driven buying model between clients and service aggregators.

In these 18-years Sharma has managed and provided services to Aditya Birla Group, ICICI Lombard, Bajaj Finser, Booking.com, Hotstar, Gpay, P&G, Mercedes Benz, UTI MF, Tata Motors, Dell, and among many others in multiple genres.

Maanesh Vasudeo, Leadership Team at LS Digital, "At LS Digital, we recognize the ever-evolving landscape of media buying and the transformative impact it can have on businesses across industries. As we propel towards a landscape of digital marketing transformation (DMT), omnichannel presence and consistency, it is essential for us to continually integrate media and marketing practices to offer tailored solutions to our partners.” This being Vishal’s second stint at LS Digital, Maanesh further added, “Vishal in his earlier role at LS Digital was responsible for pre-sales, media planning and execution. In these years, I have seen Vishal grow as a professional and his strength in media buying will further help LS Digital’s ambitious global growth plans.”

Sharma shared, "I am thrilled to be back at LS Digital, known for pioneering strategies that encompass the entire consumer journey through the DMT framework. In today's dynamic media and branding landscape, it is crucial to meet the evolving expectations of the new-digital-native audience.” Commenting on specific requirements of the brands today, Vishal further said, “Understanding the client’s requirement which is not always about the best price but about the best buying metrics and right channel mix to drive best outcomes. I look forward to contributing to LS Digital's tradition of delivering impactful solutions tailored to modern brands and audiences."

Sharma will be responsible for the growth of Non-Biddable Media; branding and performance partnership solutions, building trading strength and brand planning for brand subscribing to media services and help build trust in the minds of the clients.
 


LS Digital strengthens leadership team; Appoints Vishal Sharma as DVP - Media Buying and Trading

Pratip Mazumder, who led Swiggy as general manager - strategic partnerships, India, has joined inDrive as country manager - India.

Mazumder started his career at Erudite and went on to work across Analytics Quotient, Savaari Car Rentals, Practo, Uber and Aegon Life.


As the head of revenue and partnerships - West and East, India and South Asia, at Uber, Mazumder was responsible for adding/growing revenue streams for Uber which simultaneously increase and impact Driver Earnings. He led the digital division for India SA. He conceptualised and built a complete new product line for Uber Media (Digital OOH)

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/bajaj-auto-strengthens-its-leadership-team-appoints-abraham-joseph-and-ramtilak-ananthan-29737.htm">Bajaj Auto strengthens its leadership team; Abraham Joseph and Ramtilak Ananthan take up newer roles</a>

Swiggy's Pratip Mazumder joins inDrive as country manager - India

Bajaj Auto, two-wheeler and three-wheeler company, has appointed Abraham Joseph as managing director of the company's wholly owned subsidiary, Chetak Technology. And, Ramtilak Ananthan will take up the position of chief technology officer at Bajaj Auto. 


Joseph, who has 35 years of experience, under his leadership, the company will pivot to become a high-tech organisation focused on developing core competencies across the spectrum of cutting-edge automotive technologies, stated a media report. 


Ananthan comes with an experience of more than 30 years at Bajaj Auto, In 2013, he was elevated to the position of vice president – R&D. Then, in 2019, he assumed the role of head – test & validation, overseeing the complete test and validation function, further added the report.

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/media-monks-india-appoints-shouvik-roy-to-spearhead-business-transformation-29497.htm">Media.Monks India appoints Shouvik Roy to spearhead business transformation</a>

Bajaj Auto strengthens its leadership team; Abraham Joseph and Ramtilak Ananthan take up newer roles

Onetab, the Generative AI SaaS startup kick-started by Saket Dandotia and Alok Patil has appointed three new senior members to strengthen its India operations. Harish Chouhan joins as senior team lead, Pratish Gopinath comes on board as vice president – corporate development and Ankita Phanse joins as head human resources – strategy & planning of Onetab starting this financial year.


This team expansion comes as a step towards Onetab’s long-term growth strategy across India and global markets, stated the company.


Chouhan comes with over 17+ years of industry expertise which spans across multiple domains. He holds strong leadership acumen that motivates cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality results leveraging his familiarity with agile tools like Jira and Trello. 


Prior to Onetab, he was with Panamax Infotech, Linkites Pvt. Ltd, and InfoBeans Systems India Pvt Ltd. At Onetab he will be collaborating closely with the leadership team where he will contribute to strategic planning and execution along with fostering innovation, promoting excellence, and staying abreast of market trends and customer needs. 


Gopinath will be based out of Bangalore where he will be spearheading the Bangalore office opening and hiring process. He will also look into identifying and executing strategic partnerships, investor and VC relations and hosting Onetab’s latest initiative One Bharat across multiple cities across India.


Phanse comes with over seven years of comprehensive experience in and around the scope of HR operations and Generalist HR affairs. She holds an MBA with dual specialization in HR and Finance, and her key role at Onetab is to leverage her expertise to develop and implement HR policies/processes and programs fostering a positive work culture at OneTab.


Speaking on the new appointments Saket Dandotia, founder, Onetab said, “I am excited for Onetab as we welcome Harish, Pratish and Ankita onboard. At Onetab we are currently on a growing spree, and we need a strong team with matches our long-term vision. With our new property, OneBharat, now activated and other activities in the pipeline, this step of hiring senior team members comes in sync with our future goals.”



Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/generative-ai-spending-to-reach-26-billion-by-2027-report-29622.htm">Generative AI spending to reach $26 billion by 2027: Report</a>

Gen AI startup Onetab strengthens its leadership team

Havas Worldwide India, the creative agency of Havas India, has strengthened its creative team with the appointment of Arjun Jetly, Neharika Awal, Ajitesh Verma, and Monish Gupta as executive creative directors. 


Based out of Gurugram, all four will report to Anupama Ramaswamy, chief creative officer of Havas Worldwide India. 


Speaking about the appointments, Anupama Ramaswamy, chief creative officer, Havas Worldwide India, said, “Now is the time for our work to shine. And I can’t think of a better team to lead this than Neharika, Monish, Arjun and Ajitesh. I’m delighted to welcome them into the Havas family. They are a dynamic bunch, brimming with new ideas, each having their own individual strengths, which will not just help the brands we work on but also the teams. I believe in their capabilities and mindset to take Havas Worldwide India to newer heights.”


His second stint with Havas Worldwide India, Jetly was the brain behind some of Durex’s most-loved campaigns including Mutual Climax and Invisible. He joins the agency from Cheil India, and has also worked in agencies like The Glitch. Over the course of his career, he’s worked extensively on marquee brands from across categories including Durex, Veet, Mirinda, 7Up, Monkey Shoulder, Lay’s, Kurkure, Doritos, Cadbury, 5-Star, Horlicks, Eno, Happydent, Mentos, Adobe, MG Motor, to name a few. He has also won prestigious awards for his work, including Cannes Lions, Effies and ABBYs.


Awal has joined Havas Worldwide India following an 8-year stint in Dentsu. Before Dentsu, she worked at Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy and DDB Mudra. Through the course of her career, she has worked with leading brands including Honda Cars, OLX, Biba, Chaayos, Tasva, Canon and Dominos, to name a few, and has prominent awards including Effies and ABBYs to her name. 


Verma has worked with erstwhile Wunderman Thompson, BBDO India, McCann Worldwide and Leo Burnett before joining Havas Worldwide India. Some of his most accomplished work has been on brands from diverse sectors including Meta, The Times of India, Flipkart, PhonePe, Swiggy, Mountain Dew Global, Pepsi Foods, ITC, Britannia, Nestlé and GSK.


Through his career, Gupta has managed a wide portfolio of brands, including some of the biggest names in Auto, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, Fashion, and Hospitality including Maruti Suzuki, Honda Bikes, Citroën, LG, Samsung Phones, Myntra, and Burger King, among others. Monish who joins Havas Worldwide India from Leo Burnett has also worked at Dentsu, Lowe Lintas, erstwhile J Walter Thompson and Cheil. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/swiggy-retains-havas-as-its-media-agency-sources-18275.htm">Swiggy retains Havas as its media agency: Sources</a>

Havas Worldwide India bolsters creative leadership team with new ECDs

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.


Sukhleen Aneja


Previous: Chief executive officer, Good Brands Co, The Good Glamm Group


Sukhleen Aneja will step down from her position in July. She has worked across Unilever, RB and L'Oréal.


Venke Sharma


Previous: Executive director - consumer strategy and innovation, The Walt Disney Company


Present: VP - Global Head Product Strategy Insights, Sprinklr


Venke Sharma has joined Sprinklr in a new role. He has worked across Mudra Communications, Tribal DDB India, ARC Worldwide and Leo Burnett Worldwide.


Pranav Sabhaney


Previous: VP - strategy, FCB Interface


Present: VP - strategy, Ogilvy


Ogilvy has appointed Pranav Sabhaney in a new role. He has worked across Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, Hyper Island, 72andSunny, Fisheye Creative Solutions, OgilvyOne Worldwide, Sideways Consulting and Dentsu Webchutney.'


Dilpreeta Vasudeva


Previous: Head of marketing, Meta


Present: CMO, Sirrus.AI and Ziki


Dilpreeta Vasudeva has joined as the founding CMO at Sirrus.AI and Ziki. She has worked across Radisson, Tech Mahindra, Times Internet, Microsoft Corporation, Tata Play and Reliance Industries.


Shouvik Roy


Previous: President, Ogilvy


Present: Business transformation, Media.Monks


Shouvik Roy has taken up a new role at Media.Monks. He has worked across HCL Hewlett Packard, Mudra Communications, GE Capital and GOAT Brand Labs.


Abhijat Bharadwaj


Previous: Chief creative officer, Creativeland Asia


Present: Chief creative officer, Dentsu Creative


Dentsu Creative has appointed Abhijat Bharadwaj in a new role. He has worked across Leo Burnett Delhi, McCann Erickson Delhi, Contract Advertising, Black Pencil and Star India.


Pratheeb Ravi


Previous: Head of creative services, Publicis Worldwide


Present: Executive creative director, Ogilvy


Ogilvy has appointed Pratheeb Ravi in a new role. He has worked across Interface Communications, Triton Communications, Contract Advertising and Lowe MENA.


Leo Burnett


The Leo Burnett Mumbai senior leadership team now comprises Abhimanyu Khedkar elevated as managing partner, Neetika Aggarwal appointed as managing partner, and Saurabh Dahiya as head of strategy.


Agnello Dias


Present: Co-founder, Spinach Experience Design


Agnello Dias has joined as co-founder of Spinach Experience Design. In his previous role as creative chairman of Dentsu and co-founder of Taproot Dentsu, Dias led the agency to global recognition, ranking among the top 20 independent agencies worldwide.


Shashwat Goswami


Previous: CMO, FNP


Present: CMO, Sheela Foam


Sheela Foam has appointed Shashwat Goswami in a new role. He has worked across Infosys, PepsiCo, Blinkit and Gaana.


Tanmay Prusty


Previous: Vice president and head of national brands, Tata Consumer Products


Present: Senior vice president, category head - capital foods (Chings / S&J), Tata Consumer Products. He has worked across ITC, RB, Amazon and Oyo.


Nalin Negi


Previous: CFO, BharatPe


Present: CEO, BharatPe


BharatPe has elevated Nalin Negi to a new role. He has worked across American Express India, EXL Services, GE Capital Services India and SBI Card.


Rajeev Rakshit


Previous: Group CEO and Managing Partner, Thinking Folks Brand Solutions


Present: Executive director, Leo Burnett


Leo Burnett has appointed Rajeev Rakshit in a new role. He has worked across Publicis, Everest Brand Solutions Y&R and HMV Saregama India.


Shivani Tiwari


Previous: Growth marketer, Flipkart


Present: Head of Growth and Digital Marketing, AJIO


AJIO has appointed Shivani Tiwari in a new role. She has worked across Planning Commission of India, Madison Communications, GroupM and Google.


Snehasis Bose and Ekta Relan


Previous: Chief strategy officer, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and Chief strategy officer, Lowe Lintas India


Present: Group chief strategy officer and chief strategy officer, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi 


L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, a part of Publicis Groupe India, has elevated Snehasis Bose, its chief strategy officer (CSO), to the role of group chief strategy officer. With this, Bose will now oversee strategy across L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, Publicis India, and Saatchi & Saatchi Propagate.


Ekta Relan takes over the reins as the new chief strategy officer (CSO) for L&K Saatchi & Saatchi. Together, Bose and Relan will collaborate to enhance the agency's strategic initiatives.


Arjun Mohan


Previous: Chief executive officer, Byju’s India


Arjun Mohan has moved on from Byju’s India. He has worked across Rambus, HSBC Bank, Tata Services, Titan Company and upGrad. 


Anand Kumar


Previous: Associate vice president, Essence


Present: President, Havas Media Network


Anand Kumar has joined Havas Media Network in a new role. He has worked across Lodestar Universal, Mudra Communications, Lintas Media Group, Mediacom, MPG, Maxus and MEC.


Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

CXO Moves: Exec movements across The Walt Disney Company, Ogilvy, BharatPe, Byju's India and others

Sukhleen Aneja, who leads The Good Glamm Group's Good Brand Co as the chief executive officer, will be stepping down from her position in July.


The Good Glamm Group, that has decided not to appoint a new CEO, has announced Ketan Bhatia and Ankita Bhardwaj, as group brand director and director of brand and marketing, respectively. They will lead the brand's business operations in collaboration with Darpan Sanghvi, group founder and chief executive, as per media reports.


“I'm grateful to Darpan and our Board for believing in me and giving me the chance to be the first professional CEO to lead the Brands business at Good Glamm Group. It was my first taste of entrepreneurship, focusing on D2C and marketplace first businesses. I'm happy to see that my journey at Good Glamm Group is ending on a high note. Over the past 2.5 years, we've built a strong foundation, completed our fundraising and are now on track to become profitable and get ready for that IPO," stated Aneja.


"I want to thank Sukhleen for her amazing leadership as CEO of our Brands division. She did a great job building a strong line-up of products for our future growth. I wish her the best in her new journey, with her dedication to brand building, I eagerly anticipate her next chapter of growth.” - Darpan Sanghvi, group founder and CEO, Good Glamm Group.


Aneja, who joined the company in 2021, started her career at Unilever, and went on to work across Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and L'Oréal.


As the chief marketing officer of RB hygiene for South Asia, she was responsible for strategic and operational management of end to end marketing with full P&L responsibility. The brand portfolio in South Asia includes global brands like Lysol, Harpic, Vanish etc.


This year in January, The Good Glamm Group, a global leader in content, creation, and commerce, has appointed Group Co-founder Priyanka Gill to the Board. She has concurrently been named Chairperson of Good Media Co. Furthermore, Gill has taken on the role of Venture Partner at Kalaari Capital, having already served as a Founding Board member of CXXO.



Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/storyboard18-visionaries-understanding-the-ceo-cmo-relationship-16768.htm">Visionaries: CEO-CMO partnerships powering growth</a>

PepsiCo promotes Tarun Bhagat as CMO, India and South Asia, beverages

Previously, Tarun Bhagat was the senior director - marketing - Mountain Dew, 7Up and Mirinda at PepsiCo.

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