Vikram Sakhuja appointed as MRUC India's Vice-Chairman; Shailesh Gupta re-elected as Chairman

The Media Research Users Council of India (MRUC) has announced the appointment of Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO of Madison Media and OOH, as its new Vice-Chairman. Sakhuja replaces Shashank Srivastava of Maruti, who was previously transferred from his role as Head of Marketing & Sales to a Member of the Executive Committee this year.

At the Council's board meeting held immediately following its annual general meeting (AGM) on Thursday, Shailesh Gupta, Wholetime Director of Jagran Prakashan, was re-elected as Chairman. There have been no other changes in office bearers, as per reports.

Sakhuja, a highly respected figure in the media and marketing industry, brings extensive leadership experience to the role. He has held prominent positions across a range of industry boards and committees, including the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), Readership Studies Council of India (RSCI), Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). He has also been actively involved with the Advertising Club and the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF).

An alumnus of IIT Delhi and IIM Calcutta, Sakhuja's career began in 1988 at Procter & Gamble, where he worked in Marketing Research and Media for eight years. He later joined Coca-Cola, managing its marketing portfolio for five years.

After a stint as Executive Vice-President of Marketing at Star TV Network department, Sakhuja moved to WPP in 2002. He served as Managing Director of Mindshare South Asia and went on to become CEO of GroupM South Asia for six years, followed by a two-year term as Worldwide CEO of Maxus. Since 2015, he has been integral part of Madison World, continuing his significant contributions to the media sector.

Shailesh Gupta, who continues as Chairman of MRUC India, boasts over 35 years of experience in the media industry. He has held various leadership roles, including President of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) and Chairman of the Council of the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). Additionally, he serves as Director of Music Broadcast Limited, Rave Real Estate Private Limited, MMI Online Limited, and Midday Infomedia Limited.