Talent Tracker: Leadership moves across YouTube, Visa, Edelman and more

New Delhi: In a dynamic week of industry movements, major players across marketing, media, advertising, PR, and tech have seen significant leadership shake-ups and strategic appointments.

From high-profile hires at YouTube, Edelman, and Visa to notable exits and new ventures involving names like Amitabh Bachchan and Suresh Mahalingam, here’s a comprehensive roundup of the latest leadership transitions shaping the business landscape:

Gunjan Soni joins YouTube as Country Managing Director, India

YouTube appointed Gunjan Soni as Country Managing Director for India. She has 20+ years of experience working with companies like McKinsey, Star India, Myntra, Jabong, and Zalora. At YouTube India, Soni will be responsible for building on the platform’s popularity while navigating the next phase of growth driven by regional content, short-form videos (YouTube Shorts), live commerce, and creator monetisation initiatives.

Sujata V Kumar moves on from Visa

Sujata V Kumar has moved on from her role as Head of Marketing for India and South Asia at Visa, after serving a tenure of six years. Before Visa, Kumar worked with several organisations, including Google, The Coca-Cola Company, The Royal Bank of Scotland, Nokia, Quadra Advisory, and P&G. At Visa, she managed marketing strategy and execution, including consumer, retail and digital marketing initiatives for India and the emerging markets of Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

Aviva India appoints Suresh Mahalingam as Chairperson

Aviva Life Insurance Company India today announced the appointment of Suresh Mahalingam as its new Chairperson. Mahalingam has been associated with Aviva since July 2020, serving as an Independent Director on the Board. He has 30+ years of experience across the BFSI and FMCG sectors.

 HDFC Life names Pritika Shah as Head of Marketing; CMO Vishal Subharwal moves on

HDFC Life has elevated Pritika Shah to executive vice president and head of marketing and CSR. Shah has been with the insurance major for close to 12 years. The announcement coincides with the departure of Vishal Subharwal, who has served as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Group Head at HDFC Life for the past six years. Shah previously served as Senior Vice President of Marketing and CRM at HDFC Life. She has worked for financial brands like Aditya Birla Capital, Bharti AXA and GE Money as well as consumer companies like Pizza Hut and Dabur.

 Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands names Ashish Dikshit as MD, Vishak Kumar as CEO

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail said its Managing Director, Ashish Dikshit, has been appointed as Managing Director of the demerged entity Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands in addition to his current position. The board of directors of Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands at its meeting held on Thursday has approved the appointment of Ashish Dikshit as Managing Director, in addition to his current position as Managing Director of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, the company said in a regulatory filing. Further, the Aditya Birla Lifestyle Brands board also approved the appointment of Vishak Kumar as Deputy Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, it added.

Ranjeev Vij moves on from TBWA India

Ranjeev Vij, Executive Director (North) at TBWA India and Managing Director of Nissan United, has stepped down from his role, industry sources have confirmed. His last day at the agency was May 2, 2025. His next move is currently under wraps. In 2013, Vij joined TBWA from Adfactors PR. He has previously held senior leadership roles at Ogilvy, McCann, BBDO, Zeno, Cognizant, and Adfactors PR.

Fundamental appoints Ambalika Sen as Managing Partner

Two-year-old ad agency Fundamental has appointed Ambalika Sen as Managing Partner. Sen was previously at Tilt Brand Solutions, where she was Senior Vice-President - Business.

Edelman India reshuffles top leadership

Edelman India on Friday announced a series of senior-level promotions across its leadership ranks. Ashutosh Munshi steps into the expanded role of Lead Advisor, Integrated Communications. Karishma Gupte has been elevated to India Brand Lead, expanding her earlier portfolio as Brand Lead for Delhi and Food & Beverage Sector Lead. In addition, she takes charge as Head of the Delhi office. Vasudevan Rangarajan has been promoted to Managing Director, Public and Government Affairs (P&GA). Pankaj Suri, who has served as India’s People Team leader and also supported the broader APAC region, will move to Dubai as EVP, People Partner for the Middle East.  He will be succeeded by Ashutosh Thatte, currently part of the India People Team, who will take charge as Vice President, People Partner for India, effective June 1, 2025.

Mugafi strengthens leadership team across creative and business verticals

Mugafi announced the onboarding of four industry leaders across key verticals. Alok Sharma has joined as the Chief Creative Officer. He has 20+ years of experience and has worked with formats such as print, radio, television, animation, OTT, and films. He has previously worked at Warner Bros. Discovery and Graphic India. At Mugafi, Sharma will be steering the creative vision for original content. Joining as Strategic Business and Content Advisor, Rahul Sarangi has 20 years of experience in both digital and linear formats. Sarangi has led content and business teams at Hotstar, MX Player, and The Viral Fever. His role at Mugafi will include shaping content strategy and unlocking new growth opportunities across platforms and formats. In the business and operations vertical, Jenil Parmar has come on board as Business Head. Parmar has previously held positions at GoQuest Media and Golden Pen, with experience in scaling content ecosystems, driving co-production deals, and building IP-focused strategies. Raya Choudhury stepped in as Creative Head. She has 10+ years of experience in content development, having led narrative-driven projects at Zee Studios and Kaleidoscope Entertainment. She will help in shaping Mugafi’s original IP slate while mentoring emerging creative talent across formats.

FINO Tequila appoints Ayaesha Gooptu as Country Head - India

FINO Tequila, co-owned by Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh, has announced the appointment of Ayaesha Gooptu as Country Head - India. Gooptu has 19+ years of experience in the FMCG and Alcobev sectors. She has experience working in brand development, product innovation, and strategic communication at FINO Tequila. In her new role, Gooptu will be responsible for overseeing FINO's business operations in India, developing and implementing market strategies, and strengthening the brand's presence across key markets in the country. Prior to joining FINO, Gooptu held roles at Bacardi India and PepsiCo.

Sanjay Khanna gets additional charge of Chairman and MD of BPCL

Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) appointed Sanjay Khanna as Chairman and Managing Director of the company. Currently, he serves as the Director (Refineries) in the company. A chemical engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli and a postgraduate in finance management from Mumbai University, he has 30+ years of experience in refinery operations and technical services. Prior to becoming Director (Refineries), he headed Kochi and Mumbai Refineries of BPCL.

Former Vahdam India CBO Nikhil Sareen joins Qubo as Co-founder

Qubo announced the appointment of Nikhil Sareen as Co-founder. Sareen has 15+ years of experience in entrepreneurship, e-commerce, brand building, and global strategy. Previously, as Chief Business Officer at Vahdam India, Sareen played a pivotal role in the brand’s successful foray into multiple international markets. 

Amit Tayde onboarded as Chief Revenue Officer at Indigo 91.9 FM, Indigomusic.com

Indigo 91.9 FM and Indigomusic.com, part of Asianet News Network, have appointed Amit Tayde as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). A senior media professional, Tayde has experience in FM radio and digital media, having previously led projects and IP business at Asianet Digital News. He has held roles across leading media brands in key business markets. In his new role, Tayde will drive revenue strategy and business growth for both the FM stations in Bangalore and Goa, and the digital platform Indigomusic.com.

Famous Innovations appoints Saurabh Sabikhi as Executive Creative Director

Saurabh Sabikhi joined Famous Innovations as Executive Creative Director. Before joining Famous Innovations, Sabikhi worked for two years in Media.Monks as Creative Director. He also worked at organisations like Mullen Lintas, Adept Media and Cheil India. Sabikhi has 10+ years of industry experience working as a copywriter and creative director.