Talent Tracker: Key leadership moves across sectors this week

New Delhi: This week’s Talent Tracker captures a range of leadership movements across marketing, strategy, creative, and executive roles. From key appointments at Mastercard, Mercedes-Benz, and InMobi to leadership exits and fresh mandates at NDTV, organisations are reshaping teams to align with evolving priorities. 

Here’s a round-up of the top people moving across sectors in India.

Mercedes-Benz appoints Brendon Sissing as VP, Sales and Marketing for India

Brendon Sissing has been named Vice-President, Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz India, effective August 1, 2025. He will take over from Lance Bennett, who has been appointed Chief Financial Officer at Mercedes-Benz Middle East.

Sissing is currently the Head of Mercedes-Benz Financial Services India and brings over 20 years of experience in the automotive sector. He has previously led sales and marketing efforts across the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on customer experience and market expansion.

In his new role, he will lead the company’s sales, marketing, and customer engagement efforts in India.

Lavani Agarwal to oversee marketing & comms for Mastercard India & South Asia

Mastercard has appointed Lavani Agarwal as Vice-President, Head of Marketing & Communications for India and South Asia.

Agarwal brings broad experience from roles at global brands like Colgate-Palmolive, 3M, and Procter & Gamble. She spent over six years at Uber, where she was Head of Brand for APAC Mobility, and most recently led brand and reputation marketing for Google and YouTube in India. She holds a degree in Business Management from Singapore Management University.

Tinder’s Anukool Kumar joins Match Group as Sr. Director, Regional Head, India & Middle East

Anukool Kumar has taken on a new role as Senior Director and Regional Head for India & the Middle East at Match Group. He shared the update on his LinkedIn profile, expressing excitement about expanding his work across the region with brands like Tinder and The League.

Previously, he served as Marketing Director at Tinder India and led marketing for OkCupid India. Kumar has also held senior marketing roles at nearbuy.com and worked with Groupon.

Molly Jaiswal takes over as Marketing Head, PCDR at Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality

Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality has appointed Molly Jaiswal as Marketing Head for its Premium Casual Dining & Restaurants (PCDR) division.

Jaiswal brings over 15 years of cross-sector experience, having previously led marketing at Impresario Handmade Restaurants, and held roles at Epic for Kids, Ola, and Future Group.

In her new role, she will lead brand strategy, customer engagement, and growth initiatives for the PCDR portfolio, with a focus on storytelling and digital-first campaigns.

Bajaj Consumer Care appoints Naveen Pandey as Managing Director

Bajaj Consumer Care has named Naveen Pandey as its new Managing Director, effective July 1, 2025, following the end of Jaideep Nandi’s five-year tenure.

Pandey’s appointment, recommended by the board, will be placed before shareholders for approval at the company’s 19th Annual General Meeting.

The company has also announced a finance leadership change, appointing Aakash Gupta as Head-Finance, replacing Richard D’Souza, who has stepped down.

Sandipan Bhattacharyya joins S4 Capital as Monk’s India Head - Creative

S4 Capital’s Monks has appointed Sandipan Bhattacharyya as India Head - Creative. He will oversee the agency’s creative work across clients such as Amazon, Tata Tea, and Bajaj, and focus on integrating creativity with technology and innovation.

With over 20 years of experience at agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO, and most recently Grey South Asia as Chief Creative Officer, Bhattacharyya takes on this role as part of Monks India's strategic push to evolve its creative capabilities.

Cheil X appoints Ankit Singh as National Strategy Director

Cheil X has named Ankit Singh as its National Strategy Director. Reporting to CEO Jitender Dabas, Singh will lead strategic planning across all Cheil X companies in India.

He joins from Hilton, where he was Director of Brand Marketing for South Asia, and brings prior experience from Leo Burnett North and BBH Delhi. Singh has worked on strategy for brands like PepsiCo, Uber, Coca‑Cola, Tinder, and Unilever, with expertise in brand building, cultural insights, and tech-led solutions.

The Script Room appoints K. Ramakrishnan as Independent Director

Creative agency The Script Room has appointed K. Ramakrishnan, Managing Director – South Asia at Kantar Worldpanel, as an Independent Director on its board. With over 30 years of experience in marketing, branding, and business strategy, Ramakrishnan has held leadership roles at Lenovo, Café Coffee Day, and TVS Motor Company.

In his new role, he will support the agency’s strategic growth and governance. The appointment marks a key step as The Script Room strengthens its leadership structure in its sixth year of operations.

InMobi appoints Kunal Nagpal as Chief Business Officer

Kunal Nagpal has been named Chief Business Officer at InMobi, a newly created role in which he will oversee Glance AI, InMobi Exchange, InMobi DSP, and the company’s first-party ad platforms. The appointment aligns with InMobi’s move to unify its advertising businesses under a single go-to-market strategy.

Nagpal, who previously led InMobi Exchange, will now spearhead monetisation across platforms and drive integrated ad solutions for global marketers.

Anil Uniyal resigns as COO of NDTV

Anil Uniyal has stepped down as Chief Operating Officer of NDTV. A seasoned media executive with over 25 years of experience, Uniyal will continue to serve his notice period. He previously served as CEO of BQ Prime (formerly Bloomberg Quint), which was acquired by the Adani Group and rebranded as NDTV Profit. His past roles also include senior leadership positions at Network18, where he headed CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, and Forbes India.

Rahul Shaw joins NDTV to lead its Experiential Business

Rahul Shaw has been appointed to head NDTV’s experiential vertical, marking the broadcaster’s entry into India’s growing experiences economy. Shaw moves from TV Today Network, where he led the experiential division under Stage Aaj Tak and earlier managed ad sales for Aaj Tak and India Today Television.

With over 30 years of leadership across media formats, he is tasked with building NDTV’s event IPs and immersive formats, especially aimed at Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. His appointment aligns with the industry’s shift toward audience engagement through curated, public-facing experiences.

Boria Majumdar joins NDTV as Consulting Editor for Sports

NDTV has brought on veteran sports journalist Boria Majumdar as Consulting Editor to lead an expanded editorial focus on sports. With over 20 years of reporting experience, Majumdar will help the network move beyond event-based coverage by spotlighting Olympic sports, governance issues, grassroots development, and athlete welfare.

His appointment aligns with NDTV’s strategy to deepen sports storytelling across disciplines and formats, as India enters a packed calendar of global tournaments and qualifiers.

Prabhvir Sahmey quits Samsung Ads

Prabhvir Sahmey has stepped down as Senior Director at Samsung Ads after a four-year stint. He confirmed that he is taking a break starting June 30, with no immediate plans to join another organisation.

During his tenure, Sahmey played a major role in shaping Samsung Ads’ Connected TV advertising strategy and expanding its business footprint. A digital veteran, he previously held leadership roles at Google, Mindshare, and Lowe Lintas.