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Karan Rajpal, who led EnableX as head of marketing, has been appointed by LTIMindtree as senior director. In his new role, he is running marketing for two mandates at LTIMindtree. 

He is into marketing outcomes for LTIMindtree's delivery units, delivering outcomes across retention, strategic goals and client experience.

Rajpal began his career at Supreme Metal Industries. and went on to work across Havana Bath Fixtures and Accessories, New Global Indian, Aviva, JLL, HCL Technologies and Dalmia Bharat Limited.

At HCL Technologies, as the global lead for social media, Rajpal helped to raise the profile of the brand and business lines. He worked with content marketing, business marketing teams, and helped increase engagement with CXOs .

LTIMindtree appoints Karan Rajpal as senior director

Sanjay Gupta, Country Manager - India for Google has been elevated to the role of President for Asia Pacific. He replaces Scott Beaumont, he was elevated in 2019. While Roma Datta Chobey will lead the LCS team. Chobey is currently the Managing for Google India. 

In a LinkedIn post, Beaumont said, "Since our first meeting five years ago, I have seen Sanjay Gupta’s drive to think ambitiously about how technology can be a power for good in the development of his home country: India. He now has the opportunity to pursue that same calling more broadly across Asia Pacific. I know Sanjay will do the position, his team and the company enormous credit and I look forward to supporting him in his early months".

"I shall look forward to following the progress, but happily now pass on the baton to my friend and colleague Sanjay Gupta," Beaumont added.

Gupta began his journey at Hindustan Unilever as a management trainee and continued to work in the company for the next sixteen years. He became the Area Sales Manager for the states of Bihar, Orissa, and West Bengal, and then handled various brands such as Close-Up, Lux, Vim, etc. 

He went on to become the head of the entire Hindustan Unilever portfolio for Western India. Gupta has also worked at Bharti Airtel as the Chief Marketing Officer (Mobility) and left it to join Star India as its Chief Operating Officer in 2009.

The internal email was written by Philip Schindler, SVP and CBO at Google. 



Google elevates Sanjay Gupta to President, APAC

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.


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T082301.313-2024-07-166505291330e887d23c8148b95c4f12.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37588" />


Manjari Upadhye


Previous: Chief executive officer, Welspun World


Present: Chief marketing officer - automotive division, Mahindra & Mahindra


Manjari Upadhye has been appointed by Mahindra & Mahindra as chief marketing officer - automotive division.


Upadhye started her career at Colgate Palmolive as senior product manager, and went on to work across Ocean Spray Cranberries, PepsiCo, Mondelez International, Danone Dairy and Amazon.


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T081038.449-2024-07-1c21a272a56223a79f3eddf7df9be7f8.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37585" />


Brian Lesser


Previous: Chairman and CEO, InfoSum


Present: Global CEO, GroupM


Brian Lesser, who served as the chairman and CEO of InfoSum, has been appointed by WPP as the GroupM's global CEO.


He succeeds Christian Juhl, who is stepping down after five years in the role. Juhl will take up a new position with WPP as President, Corporate Development.


Lesser spent 10 years with WPP including as CEO of GroupM in North America from 2015 to 2017. He will rejoin WPP and begin his new role with GroupM in September 2024. 


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T081551.161-2024-07-204df73226d21848a6571caf55de791b.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37586" />


Adam Warner


Present: Vice president - global sports and entertainment partnerships, PepsiCo


PepsiCo has promoted Adam Warner to the position of vice president - global sports and entertainment partnerships.


Warner began his career at PepsiCo as a senior brand manager and went on to hold various roles in different capacities. He holds a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Birmingham.


Pranav Mishra 


Previous: Head of Liabilities, ICICI Bank


Present: Head of distribution, Kotak Mahindra Group


Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited unveiled its new Distribution structure as part of its growth strategy. 


This is aimed at bringing together all the ways in which our customers interact with the Bank and to deliver an omni-channel seamless experience across all Group products and services, thereby elevating service standards and operational efficiency. 


Anirban Mozumdar


Previous: Chief strategy officer, Havas Group India


Anirban Mozumdar, who led Havas Group India as chief strategy officer, has stepped down from his position.


Mozumdar began his career at Rediffusion DY&R, and went on to work across Leo Burnett, Mudra Communications, Publicis India, chlorophyll brand & communications consultancy and 82point5.


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2024/07/Untitled-design-2024-07-22T081907.261-2024-07-45c0fd8ec04285aa60794823bf1c38d3.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="500" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-37587" />


Harsh Bhutani


Previous: Vice President - Finance, India & Southwest Asia Operating Unit, The Coca-Cola Company.


Present: CFO, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages 


Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd. (HCCB) today announced the appointment of Mr. Harsh Bhutani as its Chief Financial Officer. Bhutani will be responsible for leading HCCB’s financial operations, including Business Transformation, Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Accounting & Controls, Reporting and Analysis, and Risk Management.


Anuj Arora


Previous: Chief marketing officer, Symphony Limited


Present: Global chief marketing officer and business head, Symphony Limited


Anuj Arora, who led Symphony Limited as chief marketing officer has been elevated to the position of global chief marketing officer and business head.


Arora, who began his career at Godrej Consumer Pvt Ltd, went on to work across Reliance Retail, A.W. Faber Castell, Piramal Enterprises and Welspun Group.


Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy

CXO Moves: Exec movements across Mahindra & Mahindra, WPP, PepsiCo and more

Manjari Upadhye, who led Welspun Group as chief executive officer at Welspun World, has been appointed by Mahindra & Mahindra as chief marketing officer - automotive division. 


Her skills ranged across product innovation, strategy, partner relationship management, marketing strategy, team leadership, P&L management and business modeling.


Upadhye started her career at Colgate Palmolive as senior product manager, and went on to work across Ocean Spray Cranberries, PepsiCo, Mondelez International, Danone Dairy and Amazon.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/wpp-appoints-brian-lesser-as-groupms-global-ceo-37381.htm">WPP appoints Brian Lesser as GroupM's global CEO</a>

Mahindra & Mahindra appoints Manjari Upadhye as chief marketing officer - automotive division

Wealth-tech startup Fisdom has appointed Girish Venkat as the head of its wealth management business. Venkat has nearly 30 years of experience in wealth management, broking, and banking. According to Fisdom, Venkat pioneered wealth management in PSU banks in the country. Venkat has earlier served as the head of SBI Wealth, scaling its Assets Under Management (AUM) to Rs 30,000 crore over six years, the Bengaluru-based firm said.

Previously, Venkat headed wealth management at Aditya Birla Capital and has also worked at ICICI Bank.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/everstone-group-appoints-sujay-bose-as-ceo-investment-management-37396.htm">Everstone Group appoints Sujay Bose as CEO-Investment Management</a>


"Wealth management in India, particularly in tier 2 and 3 cities is a massive opportunity. I look forward to scaling this to greater heights working with Anand and Subramanya," Venkat said.

On Venkat's appointment, Subramanya SV, Co-Founder and CEO, Fisdom said, "We are delighted to welcome Girish to lead our wealth management business. Girish has proven experience of building and scaling multiple businesses in various organizations".

Fisdom ropes in Girish Venkat as head of the wealth management biz

Brian Lesser, who served as the chairman and CEO of InfoSum, has been appointed by WPP as GroupM's global CEO.


He succeeds Christian Juhl, who is stepping down after five years in the role. Juhl will take up a new position with WPP as President, Corporate Development.


Lesser spent 10 years with WPP including as CEO of GroupM in North America from 2015 to 2017. He will rejoin WPP and begin his new role with GroupM in September 2024. Christian will continue in his existing role until then and support the transition as he moves to his new position.


Lesser first joined WPP with the acquisition of 24/7 Real Media in 2007. He went on to create the Media Innovation Group, building addressable advertising products and technology for GroupM, including one of the industry’s first data management platforms. In 2011 he founded Xaxis, the programmatic media buying platform which now forms part of GroupM’s media performance organization, GroupM Nexus.


After leading GroupM in North America he joined AT&T as CEO of AT&T Advertising & Analytics, a $3 billion business today known as Xandr. He took on his current role as CEO and Chairman of data company InfoSum in 2020.


Throughout his career, Lesser has been at the forefront of technological advancements in the media industry, from the advent of programmatic advertising to the rise of connected TV. He is known for challenging the status quo to deliver better consumer experiences and more effective solutions for businesses.


Juhl became CEO of GroupM in November 2019, having previously held the same position at Essence, the digital media agency acquired by WPP in 2015. As President, Corporate Development for WPP he will work on various aspects of the company’s strategic development.


Under Juhl’s leadership GroupM has grown significantly, winning notable assignments and playing a critical role in WPP wins such as the partnership with The Coca-Cola Company.



Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “I would like to thank Christian for his contribution to the success of Essence, GroupM, WPP and our clients over the last nine years. He has built a strong foundation for the ongoing transformation of GroupM, the integration of its offer, and accelerated future growth. I look forward to working with him in his new WPP role.


“Brian is one of the industry’s most highly regarded executives with a track record of success in data- and technology-driven marketing. GroupM, its agencies and its brilliant people are in many respects the engine of WPP. Brian not only knows GroupM inside-out, but also has a strong vision for the future of the business. We are delighted to welcome him back to WPP.”


Lesser said: “WPP and GroupM are special organizations to me. I have experienced first-hand the culture of innovation and collaboration that leads to exceptional work for advertisers. I am thrilled to be rejoining GroupM as Chief Executive Officer. I look forward to building with my talented colleagues, collaborating with our industry partners, and investing with our fantastic roster of global clients.”


Juhl said: “It has been a privilege to lead this amazing business, to work alongside its incredibly talented people, and to partner with our wonderful clients around the world. We’ve achieved a huge amount together and I’m really proud of the progress GroupM has made towards its mission of making advertising work better for people. After five years the time is right for a fresh challenge, and I’m excited to get started in my new role with WPP. Brian is an exceptional leader and I’m happy he is rejoining the GroupM family.”




WPP appoints Brian Lesser as GroupM's global CEO

PepsiCo has promoted Adam Warner to the position of vice president - global sports and entertainment partnerships.


Warner began his career at PepsiCo as a senior brand manager and went on to hold various roles in different capacities. He holds a bachelors degree in commerce from the University of Birmingham.


In May, Ahmed ELsheikh, who led PepsiCo as the president for the India region, joined PepsiCo Middle East, in Saudi Arabia as the chief executive officer.


He stated, "As I bid farewell to PepsiCo #India, I feel fortunate to have been given the opportunity to lead that business, an experience that has profoundly enriched both my personal and professional journey. As we navigate through what I believe to be India's defining decade, I will always be cheering for the #PepsiCo India family, celebrating every win in spirit, wherever I may be."


"I am confident that under Jagrut Kotecha’s leadership, hashtag#PepsiCoIndia will continue to scale new heights!," the post added.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/ahmed-elsheikh-joins-pepsico-middle-east-as-ceo-32484.htm">Ahmed ELsheikh joins PepsiCo Middle East as CEO</a>

PepsiCo elevates Adam Warner to Vice President - Global Sports & Entertainment Partnerships

Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited unveiled its new Distribution structure as part of its growth strategy. This is aimed at bringing together all the ways in which our customers interact with the Bank and to deliver an omni-channel seamless experience across all Group products and services, thereby elevating service standards and operational efficiency. The teams responsible for Physical branch network, Digital channel and Voice will report to Mishra.

 

The Distribution structure integrates the Physical branch network, Digital Branch channel (encompassing Mobile Banking and Net Banking platforms) and the Voice channel. This strategic initiative aims to ensure a seamless experience for customers across all interaction channels by building synergy and improving service delivery.

 

Kotak Mahindra Bank has appointed Pranav Mishra, as the head of distribution. Pranav has a distinguished background in Banking & Financial Services organizations with over 30 years of experience. He joins from ICICI Bank, where he most recently served as Head of Liabilities, Deposit, Customer 360, Branch Banking, Marketing & Alliances, ATM and Micro Market Strategy. Prior to ICICI Bank, Mishra headed distribution for ICICI Prudential Life Insurance.

 

"I am pleased to welcome Pranav to the Kotak family. Under his leadership, we are committed to strengthening our distribution and delivering a seamless omni-channel experience across all Group products and services," said Ashok Vaswani, MD & CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank. 


He added, "The new Distribution structure underscores our dedication to embedding banking services seamlessly into our customer journeys, ensuring convenience and reliability at every touchpoint. We are excited about this strategic move and confident that it will further strengthen our ability to deliver exceptional value to our customers.” 

 

Mishra stated, "I am honoured to lead Kotak Mahindra Bank's Distribution structure and am eager to leverage our capabilities to enhance customer engagement and operational efficiency." 



Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/symphony-elevates-anuj-arora-to-global-chief-marketing-officer-and-business-head-37061.htm">Symphony elevates Anuj Arora to global chief marketing officer and business head</a>

Pranav Mishra joins as head of distribution at Kotak Mahindra Group

Anirban Mozumdar, who led Havas Group India as chief strategy officer, has stepped down from his position.


Mozumdar began his career at Rediffusion DY&R, and went on to work across Leo Burnett, Mudra Communications, Publicis India, chlorophyll brand & communications consultancy and 82point5.


He worked on a wide array of categories and brands in B2C, B2B, D2C, startups. In sectors as diverse as technology, industrial products and, core FMCG. 


As an entrepreneur and business leader, he helped scale small businesses and brands in communication and brand consulting. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/symphony-elevates-anuj-arora-to-global-chief-marketing-officer-and-business-head-37061.htm">Symphony elevates Anuj Arora to global chief marketing officer and business head</a>

Havas Group India's chief strategy officer Anirban Mozumdar moves on

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd. (HCCB) today announced the appointment of Mr. Harsh Bhutani as its Chief Financial Officer. Bhutani will be responsible for leading HCCB’s financial operations, including Business Transformation, Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax, Treasury, Audit, Accounting & Controls, Reporting and Analysis, and Risk Management. 


Bhutani is currently serving as the Vice President of Finance for the India & Southwest Asia Operating Unit of The Coca-Cola Company.


“I am pleased to welcome Harsh Bhutani as CFO. With his deep financial and business experience, strategic acumen, inspirational leadership, and proven track record of driving strong financial results, his presence will strengthen HCCB’s financial health, steer strategic decision making and further bolster stakeholder confidence. His relentless work in making finance a strategic enabler of growth and being future-ready is well recognized in the industry. We know he will continue to drive the business forward and will be a great addition to the executive team. I wish him all the best in his new, well-deserved role,” said Juan Pablo Rodriguez, CEO, HCCB. 
 

With over 25 years of experience as a seasoned financial professional, Bhutani will be returning to HCCB after a tenure in Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia, where he played a key role in achieving double-digit growth on a year-on-year basis. He was responsible for the transformation of several key projects with system bottling partners across various parts of India & Southwest Asia. 


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/symphony-elevates-anuj-arora-to-global-chief-marketing-officer-and-business-head-37061.htm">Symphony elevates Anuj Arora to global chief marketing officer and business head</a>

CXO MOVES