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 are in, out and in-between.
Tarun Jha
Previous: Head of Marketing, Skoda Auto
Tarun Jha stepped down as the head of marketing at Skoda Auto. As Head of Marketing at Škoda Auto India, Jha was responsible for brand and product strategy, communications, media, digital, customer experience, retail marketing and events.
He has been with Škoda since 2008, including three years at the headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, as an International Marketing Consultant, responsible for brand stewardship and consulting with markets in Asia-Pacific, Middle-East, Africa and Northern Europe.
Jha has an experience of more than two decades and has worked across Mudra Communications, Ogilvy & Mather, and Videocon Group. Along with Jha, Ajay Raghuvanshi, who served as the head of sales too has put his papers down.
Mustafa Kapasi
Previous: Senior Creative Director & Head of Content, Serpo Scarecrow M&C Saatchi
Present: Executive Creative Director, Scarecrow M&C
Advertising agency Scarecrow M&C has elevated Mustafa Kapasi to executive creative director. Kapasi has two decades of experience and he started his career with Origin Beanstalk.
Chris Macdonald
Previous: Global chairman and chief executive officer, McCann Worldgroup
Chris Macdonald, who was the global chairman and chief executive officer at the global marketing services company McCann Worldgroup, will be moving out of the company due to personal reasons. Macdonald is armed with experience of three decades and has worked across Lowe-Howard Spink, Publicis, Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R, and has held different positions at McCann Erickson across various countries.
Aditi Patwardhan
Previous: Chief Strategy Officer, FCB Interface
Present: Chief Strategy Officer, Sideways
Sideways Consulting has appointed Aditi Patwardhan as the chief strategy officer. Patwardhan has previously worked at DCW Home Products, International Bestfoods, Mattel, Dabur India, Lowe Lintas and Leo Burnett. Her core strength lies in building businesses and brands around exceptional consumer insight, integrating strategic thinking with creative development through transformational ideas.
Megha Vishwanath
Previous: Strategic Relations and Communications Manager, Nothing
Present: Global Product Marketing Manager, Nothing
Consumer electronics manufacturer Nothing has elevated Megha Vishwanath to the global product marketing manager. Vishwanath has an experience of 14 years and has worked at India Today and CNBC-TV18.
Cedric Wilmotte
Present: Chief Executive Officer, Michael Kors
US based multinational fashion holding company Capri has announced Cedric Wilmotte as the chief executive officer of the Michael Kors brand. Wilmotte will take up the role on April 3. He served as the interim CEO of Capri’s Versace brand. At present, he is the chief operating officer of the brand. Previously, from 2008 to 2021, Wilmotte led Michael Kors’s business in Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Debanjan Basak
Previous: Senior Creative Director, Contract Advertising India
Present: Group Creative Director, Havas Worldwide India
Havas Worldwide India has appointed Debanjan Basak as the group creative director. In his new role, Basak will oversee the expansion of the agency’s digital and social portfolio. Basak has an experience of 15 years and has worked across Saints and Warriors Communications, Ogilvy & Mather, Metal Communications, Sweatshop Communications, Percept/H, Dentsu Impact and Dentsu Creative Impact.
Sanjay Deshmukh
Previous: Business & Restructuring Consultant, Blue Logic Digital
Present: Chief Executive Officer, Garage Worldwide
Design, digital and content agency Garage Worldwide has appointed Sanjay Deshmukh as the CEO. Deshmukh has an experience of 24 years and has worked across DDB Mudra, The Big Idea Advertising, Blue Logic Digital, and is a managing partner at One Geography Consulting.
Shrirang Deodhar
Previous: Senior Marketing Manager, Shemaroo Entertainment
Present: Senior Manager – Music Marketing, Saregama India
Saregama India has roped in Shrirang Deodhar as the senior manager of music marketing. At Shemaroo Entertainment, Deodhar was responsible for driving the brand agenda both for B2B and B2C categories. Deodhar has an experience of more than a decade and has worked across 94.3 Radio One, Pratisaad Communications, Ogilvy & Mather, MullenLowe Lintas, 92.7 Big FM and Discovery Inc.
Harshit Gupta
Previous: Account Director – Client Strategy, RepIndia
Present: Deputy Manager – Digital Marketing, Haldiram’s
Multinational sweets, snacks and restaurant company Haldiram’s has appointed Harshit Gupta as the deputy manager – digital marketing. In his new role, Gupta will be in charge of digital activities and carving the larger brand story across digital. Gupta has previously worked at Harman Connected Services India, Editsoft Solutions, Appiness Interactive and Webenza India.
Ajay Kulkarni
Previous: Content and Strategic Partnerships South Asia, ByteDance
Present: Business Head, Barcode Entertainment
Influencer marketing agency Barcode Entertainment has appointed Ajay Kulkarni as the business head. In his new role, Kulkarni intends to leverage his team-working and marketing capabilities to bring seamless processes to the agency and grow the business exponentially. Kulkarni has an experience of more than two decades and has worked across Bennett, Coleman & Co, Star India, Tata Teleservices and Times Network.
As a cost cutting measure, towards the end of 2022, ByteDance laid off hundreds of employees.
Bhanu Pratap Singh and Farid Ahsan
Previous: Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer, ShareChat
Bhanu Pratap Singh and Farid Ahsan, who were also the co-founders of the social media platform, have stepped down from their respective positions. However, they would continue to be a part of the board. Singh started his career with Purplle, an online shopping company and Ahsan started his career with Deutsche Bank.
Devendra Chawla
Previous: Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Spencer’s Retail & Nature’s Basket
Present: CEO, GreenCell Mobility
Shared e-mobility company GreenCell Mobility has roped in Devendra Chawla as its chief executive officer. Previously, Chawla worked at RP Sanjiv Goenka Group, Walmart India, Future Consumer, Coca-Cola and Asian Paints.
Avi Kumar
Previous: Chief Marketing Officer, Join Ventures
Present: Chief Business Officer, coto
Social community app for women coto has appointed Avi Kumar as the chief business officer. Kumar’s responsibilities would include designing the narrative of converting coto’s in-app content to unique consumer insights. Kumar has an experience of 14 years and has worked across Oriflame, BIG FM, Zee5 and IGP.
Amartya Chakraborty
Previous: Director of Sales, Novotel Hotels
Present: Director of Sales and Marketing, Novotel Hotels
Amartya Chakraborty has been promoted as the director of sales and marketing. In his new role, Chakraborty will be responsible for planning and implementing the hotel’s sales and marketing strategy, maximizing revenues, exploring new business opportunities, setting annual budget and putting together strategies amongst other duties.
Abhinav Upadhyay
Previous: Chief Marketing Officer, Leverage Edu
Present: Chief Marketing Officer, CollegeDekho
Edtech platform CollegeDekho has appointed Abhinav Upadhyay as the chief marketing officer. In his new role, he will be expected to drive all aspects of brand and product marketing. Upadhyay has an experience of more than a decade and has worked across ITC, Tata Teleservices, Western Union, Thomas Cook India, Zee Learn, Avanti Learning Services and Talentedge_In.
Prashant Pandey
Previous: Chief Executive Officer, Radio Mirchi
Prashant Pandey, who was the CEO at Radio Mirchi has retired from the company. Pandey, who spent 23 years at the radio network, will be joining the venture capital space. He shared, “And it’s a wrap! After 23 years, I’m leaving Mirchi….the most exciting brand and company in the World! I can’t thank my lovely team enough-and all who have worked here since the beginning. We’ve together created this awesomeness!… I’m joining the venture capital space in a small way. I’m sure our paths will cross again.”
Joy Chakraborty
Previous: Chief Business Officer, Zee Media
As per reports, Joy Chakraborty, who was the chief business officer and looked after marketing, distribution and revenue functions has stepped down from his position at Zee Media. He held the position even after the restructuring of Zee Media in November last year. Chakraborty has an experience of three decades and has worked across TV18 and the Times of India Group.
Compiled by Kashmeera Sambamurthy