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The Director of Marketing, Vikram Chandratrey of Mondelez International has joined Tata Consumer Products Limited for the ready to drink category. He was the director of marketing for Indonesia and head of innovation and equity for SEA. 

Chandratrey has been appointed vice president of marketing for the ready-to-drink (RTD) category at Tata Consumer Products (TCPL) in India. Effective September 16, Chandratrey has relocated from Jakarta to Gurugram, India to oversee the marketing of brands such as Himalayan Water, Tata Gluco+, and Tata Copper+.

Chandratrey has been replaced by Lucas Levy, former marketing head for Dove Hair in Southeast Asia at Unilever. Levy will be the regional marketing head. 

Chandratrey was associated with Mondelez International since more than 11 years. He worked closely on products such as Cadbury and Oreo. 

Mondelez’s Indonesia marketing head joins Tata consumer products

Cashify has announced the appointment of Ujjwal Sinha as Head of Marketing. With over 15 years of extensive experience in the marketing domain, Ujjwal brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the company, further strengthening Cashify’s leadership team. 

In his new role, Ujjwal will oversee and direct all aspects of consumer marketing at Cashify.

Before joining Cashify, Ujjwal served as Associate Vice President of Marketing at CARS24, where he played a pivotal role in driving business growth through innovative marketing strategies.  

Coming from auto industry re-commerce, at CARS24, he led the growth marketing for the supply side, optimizing marketing efforts through data and technology, and spearheading media planning, buying, and offline efforts. His work in enhancing the company’s online reputation and ensuring the brand’s physical presence across multiple cities were significant milestones during his association with CARS24. Prior to his roles at CARS24, Ujjwal held senior marketing positions at AutoPortal India and Tata Motors. 

“We are thrilled to have Ujjwal join our team,” said Nakul Kumar, Co-Founder & CMO of Cashify. “Building a strong team has always been key to our vision, and with Ujjwal on board, we're excited about the growth and opportunities ahead. We are confident that joining forces with talented people will definitely help us grow, innovate and redefine the re-commerce industry in India.” 

Cashify appoints Ujjwal Sinha as head of marketing

Pizza Hut, a division of US-based Yum! Brands, has announced the appointment of Rohan Pewekar as the Managing Director of the Indian Subcontinent. Based in Gurgaon, Pewekar will spearhead the brand's expansion efforts across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, as Pizza Hut prepares for its next phase of growth in the region.

An alumnus of IIM Calcutta and The Wharton School, Rohan has been with Pizza Hut for over four years, serving as Chief Strategy and Finance Officer, where he played a crucial role in the brand's rapid ascent in the market. With nearly 15 years of experience in B2C sectors across various countries, he brings a wealth of expertise in finance, go-to-market strategies, and channel expansion.

In his statement, Pewekar expressed enthusiasm for his new role, stating, "Pizza Hut has seen incredible growth, now reaching close to 900 restaurants across 200+ cities in India. I am honoured to lead the brand in one of the world's fastest-growing markets. As we set our sights on the future, we're not just expanding - we're reinventing the experience with bold partnerships, industry-first products, and innovative marketing that connects with the next generation, unlocking new possibilities in the Indian market."

Pewekar acknowledged the mentorship of Merrill, his predecessor, emphasizing its significance in his career development. He added, "I am eager to collaborate with our incredibly talented team and dedicated franchisee partners as we continue driving our growth, delivering outstanding results, and setting new benchmarks for success."

Prior to joining Pizza Hut, Rohan was with Samsung Electronics India, leading several high-impact strategic initiatives. He also worked at Accenture Strategy Consulting, where he advised clients on market entry strategies, brand launches, and digital transformation across multiple consumer industries.

Yum! Brands appoints Rohan Pewekar as MD, Pizza Hut Indian Subcontinent

Milind Shah has taken on an exciting new role as Chief Marketing Officer of MG SELECT, the company's luxury brand channel.

MG SELECT aims to redefine the luxury car experience in India, marking a strategic shift for MG Motor as it continues to expand its footprint in the premium segment of the automobile industry.

Shah shared the news in a recent <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/milindshah1987_mgmotorindia-mgselect-luxurycar-activity-7241790971204542464-0YMz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop">LinkedIn</a> post, expressing his excitement for the next chapter in his career. "After playing a pivotal role in establishing the MG brand in India, I'm now leading the launch of MG Select, a luxury brand channel that promises to redefine the luxury car experience," Shah stated.

Reflecting on his two-decade journey, which he refers to as his "startup life," Shah remains passionate about building innovative teams, creating new markets, and pushing boundaries. He also took the opportunity to thank his colleagues, mentors, and loved ones for their continuous support throughout his career.

As Shah steps into this new role, he looks forward to collaborating with fellow innovators, industry experts, and luxury car enthusiasts. 

Shah has previously worked with Royal Enfield and Harley-Davidson Motor Company.

Milind Shah takes on new challenge as CMO of MG Select, MG Motor India's luxury brand channel

GroupM has appointed Bharat Rajamani as managing partner - growth, acceleration. In his new role, Rajamani will look into all marketing and alliances initiatives of Acceleration - Industry and client events.


He will target Non-GroupM Clients, GroupM's emerging client cluster across all agencies and clients in Sri Lanka Market. 


Rajamani began his career at M/s Dalal & Shah, and M/s Parihar & Sonpar, and went on to work across EY, KPMG India, and GetaFixM.


At EY, as executive director and solution leader - marketing and advertising risk services, he was responsible for the MARS Solution with direct reporting to the Industry Leader for Media & Entertainment in India & Global MARS leaders. 


His clients cut across various industries – FMCG, CP, Telecom, Services, Oil & Gas, and Governments. He performed the following key roles: Pursuit identification & Risk Management, Pursuit strategizing, tracking & co-ordination with Partners, Sales, Team Utilisation, Solution & People Development, Fee Negotiation, Project Execution, Client Deliverables, Billing of project fees & Collections. 


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GroupM names Bharat Rajamani as Managing Partner - Growth, Acceleration

India has taken another step toward becoming a global leader in broadcast technology with the appointment of Shashi Shekhar Vempati, former CEO of Prasar Bharati, to the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) Board Business Advisory Council.

ATSC, a leading global body focused on advancing broadcast standards, sees Vempati's inclusion as a strategic move to bring India's insights and technological prowess into the global conversation, particularly in the development and expansion of ATSC 3.0.

Vempati's role on the Business Advisory Council will involve guiding the intersection of business strategies and technical advancements. His extensive experience in media and technology positions him well to drive innovation and foster cross-sector partnerships, essential for the widespread adoption of ATSC 3.0. His appointment is also timely, as India explores Direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting - powered by ATSC 3.0 - which promises unprecedented access to multimedia content and strategy services, even in remote regions.

With ATSC 3.0's seamless multimedia delivery framework, India's gigantic population can leverage this technology in a multitude of ways. By enhancing education, digital inclusion, and disaster management services, it will also further align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Digital India' vision.

Former Prasar Bharati CEO joins ATSC Board Business Advisory Council

Publicis Sapient, a digital business transformation company, announces Shubhradeep (Shubhra) Guha as its new Global Chief Delivery Officer. He will be responsible for ensuring effective delivery across all client engagements globally while partnering with Publicis Sapient’s global capability leads to drive the evolution of the company’s SPEED capabilities (Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data and AI) and the AI transformation of global delivery. He will be based in Gurgaon.


Guha joins Publicis Sapient from Google’s North America division, where he spent nearly a decade leading integrated teams and delivering transformative, AI-led solutions for some of Google’s largest clients. 


“Shubhra knows how to harness the magic that comes from equipping talented people with powerful AI,” says Nigel Vaz, Publicis Sapient CEO. “We’re working on AI transformation for some of the world’s biggest companies right now. Not prototyping, but actively delivering real work. It’s been part of what we do for years and it’s going to be part of every business going forward. I’m excited to have Shubhra on board to help us continue to deliver with excellence, agility and innovation in this truly transformative era.”


“It’s been incredible to see how Publicis Sapient has advanced its delivery capabilities over the last several years: connecting top-tier strategy, product and experience capabilities to high-end engineering and data, producing transformative outcomes for clients,” says Guha. “As we enter the AI era, I’m excited to return to Publicis Sapient and work with our incredible teams to take delivery to the next level, bringing the best to Publicis Sapient clients, while creating an unmatched environment where our people can learn and grow.”


Outgoing Chief Delivery Officer, Bob Van Beber, will become Global Head of Sales Management. "Bob has served in multiple executive leadership positions throughout his tenure at Publicis Sapient with deep roots in sales and client development,” said Vaz. "I look forward to the impact he will create in this critical new role."


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Publicis Sapient names Shubhradeep Guha as Global Chief Delivery Officer

Snap Inc. announced that Jim Lanzone, Chief Executive Officer of Yahoo Inc., has been appointed to the company's board of directors, effective as of September 12, 2024.


“We are excited to welcome Jim to our board of directors and benefit from his experience in technology and digital advertising,” said Evan Spiegel, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Snap Inc. “We look forward to working with and learning from him as we continue to grow our business.”


“Jim’s strong technology background will be a key asset for Snap,” said Michael Lynton, Chairperson of the board of directors of Snap Inc. “We are glad to have him on the board and I look forward to beginning our work together.”


“Snap has long been a tech pioneer and innovator and I'm thrilled to join the board,” said Lanzone. “With significant long-term opportunity ahead, I’m eager to begin collaborating with Evan, Michael, and the other directors to grow its iconic business.”


Lanzone has been Chief Executive Officer and member of the board of directors of Yahoo Inc. since September 2021. Prior to that, Lanzone served as CEO of Tinder. Previously, he served as President and CEO of CBS Interactive for over 8 years, as well as becoming CBS Corporation’s first Chief Digital Officer. He has also previously served on the board of directors for GoPro, Inc. and Edmunds.com.


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Jim Lanzone joins Snap Inc. Board of Directors

OpenAI has announced that its CEO, Sam Altman, is stepping down from the Safety and Security Committee, an internal group established to oversee critical safety decisions for the company's projects. The committee will now function as an independent board oversight group, chaired by Carnegie Mellon professor Zico Kolter. Other members include Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo, retired U.S. Army General Paul Nakasone, and former Sony EVP Nicole Seligman, all of whom are also on OpenAI's board of directors, as per reports.

OpenAI's Safety and Security Committee, which conducted a safety review of its latest AI model, o1, after Sam Altman's departure, will continue to function independently. The committee will receive regular updates from OpenAI's safety and security teams and retains the authority to delay model releases until safety concerns are fully addressed, as per reports.

OpenAI's Safety and Security Committee will continue to receive regular updates on the technical assessments of current and future AI models, as well as ongoing post-release monitoring. The company is also implementing a new safety and security framework with specific success criteria for launching models.

Sam Altman's decision to step down from the Safety and Security Committee follows concerns raised by five U.S. senators in a letter to him this summer. Additionally, many OpenAI staff members who previously focused on AI safety have left the company, and former researchers have accused Altman of prioritizing OpenAI's corporate interests over genuine AI regulation.

In an op-ed for The Economist, former OpenAI board members Helen Toner and Tasha McCauley expressed concerns about the company's ability to hold itself accountable, citing the potential influence of profit incentives. With rumors of a new funding round that could value OpenAI at over $150 billion, the company's profit motives may be further amplified. To secure this funding, OpenAI might abandon its hybrid nonprofit structure, potentially compromising its commitment to developing artificial general intelligence that benefits all of humanity.

Sam Altman steps down from safety committee as OpenAI faces scrutiny

Global digital agency DEPT appoints industry leader Andrew Dimitriou as its Global Chief Client & Growth Officer who also becomes a partner of the company. He will oversee the agency’s global growth, marketing, and client service teams, focusing on delivering pioneering customer experiences, campaigns, and solutions. He will join and become a member of the company’s executive team. 


“Coming from a creative agency, I’m impressed by DEPT®'s ability to build long-term partnerships that unlock growth for some of the world’s most ambitious brands, like eBay, Google, and Netflix,” said Dimitriou. 


He added, “Our conversations have shown me the incredible potential of integrating tech and marketing, putting DEPT® at the forefront of using data and AI in new, groundbreaking ways. This is where the industry's future is headed, and DEPT is leading the charge. I’m thrilled to contribute to this exciting growth journey.”


Dimitriou brings 25+ years of experience at global networks transforming global businesses with experience in North America, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. He has led client teams for major brands in industries like FMCG, HealthCare, and Technology. Most recently, he was the EMEA CEO for 7 years at VMLY&R where he led a network of 4500 and was nominated as Campaign Agency Leader of the Year 2021, 2022, 2023. Andrew is based in Europe and will report to Dimi Albers, Global CEO.


Dimi Albers, Global CEO at DEPT, said, “Andrew is a truly global leader, and he brings a deep understanding of the broadness of our services and a breadth of experience in delivering those services to clients at a global scale. On top of that, he is a charismatic, empathetic human who wants to build a culture of creativity and innovation, which is exactly what we’re all about here. I am super excited to get to work together.”


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