Talent Tracker of the Week: Key leadership changes across advertising, media, and marketing

New Delhi: This week’s talent movements span advertising, media, marketing, and technology, with senior appointments and leadership changes across agencies, brands, and platforms. From creative and strategy heads taking charge at agencies to C-suite shifts in insurance, digital consulting, and consumer brands, the updates highlight both continuity and new directions in leadership.

Famous Innovations onboards Saurabh Sabikhi, Lakshiyta Singh, Chaitanya Lekhwani at Delhi office

Famous Innovations has strengthened its Delhi office with three senior appointments. Saurabh Sabikhi joins as Executive Creative Director, Copy, with experience at JWT, Cheil, Lintas, and Media Monks, working on brands like Amazon, PepsiCo, Nestlé, and Havells.

Lakshiyta Singh takes charge as Planning Director in Gurgaon, bringing expertise across real estate, fintech, FMCG, and lifestyle, having worked on Bajaj, Dabur, Shriram, and Blackstone.

Chaitanya Lekhwani comes on board as Senior Creative Director, Copy, with 15 years of experience in advertising and media, having worked with ESPN, CNN India, DailyO, and campaigns for H&M, Sleepwell, Dabur, and Vh1 Supersonic.

Havas Media India names Sujata Singh as President, South

Havas Media India has appointed Sujata Singh as President, South, based in Bengaluru and reporting to Uday Mohan, COO, Havas Media & Havas Play India. She will lead operations across southern markets in close collaboration with the agency’s core leadership team.

With over two decades of experience across brand and agency ecosystems, Singh was most recently Strategy Consultant at IPG Mediabrands, where she worked on ITC and Ather Energy. She has previously held leadership roles at Amazon India, GroupM, and Omnicom, and has partnered with clients including Diageo USL, Intel, Puma, Titan, Dabur, Hero MotoCorp, Perfetti, and Vodafone.

Wondrlab appoints Hemant Shringy as CCO and Managing Partner

Wondrlab has named Hemant Shringy as Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner. Shringy, who was previously CCO at FCB Ulka, brings over two decades of experience with agencies including FCB, BBDO, Ogilvy, and DDB, and has worked on brands such as Ariel, Whisper, WhatsApp, Amul, Tata Motors, Reliance, and Star Sports.

Co-founder Rakesh Hinduja said Amit Akali will continue as Co-founder and Chief Mentor, supporting the agency’s creative vision while prioritising his health. Akali noted that Shringy’s mix of craft, audacity, and empathy makes him the right leader for Wondrlab’s next phase.

In his new role, Shringy will drive brand building, content, commerce, CRM, data-led storytelling, influencer strategies, automation, and AI integration, as Wondrlab evolves its platform-first, creativity-driven approach.

Truecaller Ads appoints Archana Roche as Global Head of Measurement and Analytics

Truecaller has appointed Archana Roche as Global Head of Measurement and Analytics for its advertising business. She brings over 18 years’ experience in digital measurement, advertising effectiveness and data strategy.

Roche joins from Aleph, where she was Global Lead for Meta Measurement, working across Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific on methodologies such as incrementality testing, lift studies, and Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM). Her career also includes roles at Tata Motors, Pidilite, and Future Group.

Varun Kohli exits Times Network after a year; Rohit Gopakumar takes interim charge

Varun Kohli, chief operating officer of Times Network, has stepped down just over a year after joining. Rohit Gopakumar, CEO, Entertainment and Digital Business at The Times Group, has been given interim charge of the broadcast business.

Kohli had joined in June 2024 from Bharat Express, where he was Director and CEO. His earlier stints include Sporty Media Solutionz, iTV Network, Network18, HT Media, and Amar Ujala Prakashan.

The exit follows last year’s departure of former CEO M.K. Anand, who left after more than a decade at BCCL. Industry sources link the churn to revenue pressures in a volatile market.

India Today appoints Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor to lead new health and wellness brand

The India Today Group has appointed Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor to head its upcoming health and wellness omni-platform brand.

Kapoor moves from Moneycontrol, where she spent three and a half years, after a 12-year stint with NDTV.

In a note to staff, Kalli Purie, Vice Chairperson, said Kapoor brings “a powerhouse” mix of storytelling and editorial strength, adding that as a Harvard-certified nutritionist, she is committed to “science-backed conversations on health and well-being”.

Kapoor will report to B. V. Rao, Consulting Editor, India Today Digital, and work with Supriya Prasad, News Director of Aaj Tak, India Today TV, and Good News Today, on related projects.

Anirban Mozumdar appointed Chief Strategy Officer at TBWA India

TBWA India has named Anirban Mozumdar as its Chief Strategy Officer, reporting to CEO Govind Pandey.

With nearly three decades of experience, Mozumdar has worked across account management, brand strategy, and entrepreneurship. His career includes leading P&G campaigns at Leo, building his consultancy chlorophyll, and serving as CSO at Havas India, where he handled brands like Reckitt and Burger King.

He has also held roles with HCLTech and Intuit. Mozumdar’s background blends data-driven insight with creative strategy, aligning with TBWA’s disruptive positioning.

Uday Mohan gets additional COO role at Havas Play; Prachi Narayan made Managing Partner

Havas Play India, the sports, entertainment, and content arm of Havas Media Network India, has announced changes to its leadership structure. Uday Mohan, who serves as COO of Havas Media India, will now also oversee Havas Play India in the same capacity.

Alongside this development, Prachi Narayan has been promoted to Managing Partner, Havas Play India. She will report to Mohan and lead the agency’s integrated offering across four core verticals, entertainment, content, sports, and social, bringing together culture, commerce, and creativity.

Each vertical will now be headed by senior leaders within the agency. Abhay Kumar will manage entertainment, focusing on film, OTT, music, and IP development. Content will be led by Niharika Goswami, with an emphasis on digital and influence-led storytelling. Sports will be overseen by Uditvanu Das, who will drive marketing, sponsorship, and fan engagement initiatives, while Geetika Thakur will spearhead social, building culture-first narratives for communities across platforms.

Sheela Foam appoints Rakesh Chahar Deputy Managing Director

Sheela Foam, parent to Sleepwell, Kurlon and Furlenco, has named Rakesh Chahar as Deputy Managing Director (Whole-time Director) with immediate effect. The appointment was approved by the Board of Directors following the Nomination and Remuneration Committee’s recommendation.

Chahar, with the company since 1990 and a Whole-time Director since 2003, has led operations, distribution and category expansion. In his new role, he will oversee integrated operations, channel consolidation, nationwide growth, B2B expansion, and coordination of manufacturing and procurement.

He also serves as Chairman of the Indian Sleep Products Federation (ISPF).

FTA Global appoints Rohit Salian Vice President, Brand and Strategy

FTA Global has named Rohit Salian Vice President, Brand and Strategy. He will also lead FTA Creative Labs, the company’s division focused on blending human creativity with artificial intelligence for new storytelling methods.

Salian will oversee brand narrative and client portfolio expansion while building AI-driven creative solutions. With over 12 years in advertising and brand building, he has held leadership roles at NP Digital India, Oliver+, and Creative Land Asia, contributing to campaigns for Standard Chartered India, Reliance Jio, and multiple Effies-recognised projects.

Refex eVeelz rebrands as Refex Mobility; names Anirudh Arun CEO

Refex eVeelz has rebranded as Refex Mobility and appointed Anirudh Arun as Chief Executive Officer. Arun, who has experience in scaling low-emission fleet systems, said the company’s vision is to build a service culture rooted in “trust, dignity, and dependability.”

Ankit Grover has joined as Chief Business Officer, while existing leadership includes Sasi A (CTO), Meet Goradia (COO), and Sachin Navtosh Jha (Chief of Staff to the Group MD). The rebrand also includes a new logo, app icon, and vehicle decals.

Saatchi Propagate India names Saurabh Mankhand EVP & Head of Consumer Experience

Publicis Groupe India’s Saatchi Propagate has appointed Saurabh Mankhand as EVP and Head of Consumer Experience. He will lead the agency’s CX practice, integrating strategy, data, content, platform innovation, and emerging technologies to drive measurable outcomes for brands.

Mankhand, who returns to Publicis Groupe with over two decades of experience, has previously worked with Unilever, Jio, Vodafone, and IBM. He was most recently Business Head, eCommerce & Technology Services at OLIVER+, and has held leadership roles at Indigo Consulting and Ogilvy India.

He will report to Paritosh Srivastava, CEO of Saatchi and Saatchi India, BBH India, and Saatchi Propagate India, and collaborate with Prachi Bali and Snehasis Bose in the leadership team.

Google India Marketing Director Neha Barjatya exits after nearly 14 years

Neha Barjatya, Marketing Director at Google India, is leaving the company after almost 14 years. In a LinkedIn post, she called her stint “the ride of a lifetime,” highlighting milestones from the Great Online Shopping Festival and Internet Saathi to Pixel manufacturing in India and the launch of Gemini.

Barjatya joined Google in 2011 as Head of Business Marketing and Digitising India Initiatives, later leading the FREND programme with Tata Trusts to expand rural digital literacy to over 2.9 lakh villages and three crore women. She was named Marketing Director in 2020, overseeing campaigns across Search, Maps, Gemini, Pixel, and Android.

VDart Digital appoints Mohamed Irfan Peeran as CEO

VDart Digital, the global digital and technology consulting company, has appointed Mohamed Irfan Peeran as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

Irfan, who earlier served as Managing Director, was instrumental in expanding the company’s operations into the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and India, positioning them as growth and delivery hubs. His career also includes roles at the State of Michigan, Ford Motor Company, and Peer Solutions Group Inc.

Founder Sidd Ahmed will remain Group CEO, overseeing VDart’s wider portfolio.

During his time as Managing Director, Irfan expanded VDart’s portfolio to include AI, cloud, data, cybersecurity, enterprise platforms, and strategy consulting.

Zurich Kotak General Insurance appoints Surabhi Kanjilal as Chief Marketing Officer

Zurich Kotak General Insurance has named Surabhi Kanjilal as Chief Marketing Officer. She will oversee marketing, brand development, PR, and digital strategies for the company.

Kanjilal has over 16 years of experience across marketing, growth strategy, customer experience, and communications. She previously worked with Reliance General Insurance, Ola TFS, Apollo Munich Health Insurance, and Mullen Lintas.

Infectious Advertising strengthens leadership with senior appointments

Infectious Advertising has appointed Divesh Mehta as Associate Vice President, Planning, and Kiran Salkar as Creative Director, Art.

Mehta brings nearly 15 years of marketing communications experience across sectors including BFSI, hospitality, pharmaceuticals, and heavy industries. Salkar has worked on campaigns for brands such as LUX, Sunsilk, BMW, and Tata Motors.

Ingram Micro India names Ankesh Kumar Director and Chief of Marketing

Ingram Micro India has appointed Ankesh Kumar as Director and Chief of Marketing. He will lead the company’s integrated marketing strategy with a focus on brand, digital, and ecosystem engagement.

Kumar brings more than two decades of leadership experience in the technology sector, having worked with Schneider Electric, Honeywell, and Vertiv (formerly Emerson). At Ingram Micro, he has been involved in scaling global campaigns and partner programmes through Xvantage™, supporting digital innovation and customer experience.

He is certified in Business Sustainability Management, Six Sigma, and Digital Media Marketing.

Swiss Beauty appoints Hemant Gupta as CFO

Swiss Beauty has named Hemant Gupta as Chief Financial Officer. He will oversee the company’s financial strategy, business expansion, risk management, investor relations, and regulatory compliance.

Gupta brings over 20 years of experience across corporate finance, fundraising, business strategy, and operations. He previously served as Global CFO at Ferns N Petals and has held leadership roles at Clove Dental, Being Human, and Blackberrys.

A Chartered Accountant, Gupta is a commerce graduate from Delhi University.