Talent Tracker of the week: Key leadership moves across industries

New Delhi: This week’s talent tracker highlights recent appointments, promotions, and leadership changes across advertising, marketing, media, and corporate sectors. From creative heads and chief marketing officers to senior management shifts, these updates showcase how brands and agencies are strengthening their leadership teams and strategic capabilities.

ASCI appoints Sudhanshu Vats as chairman

Sudhanshu Vats, Managing Director of Pidilite Industries, has been named chairman of the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) during its 39th annual general meeting. S Subramanyeswar of MullenLowe Global was appointed vice-chairman, while Paritosh Joshi, Principal at Provocateur Advisory, will serve as honorary treasurer.

The Ad Club elects Dheeraj Sinha President, Amitesh Rao Vice-President

The Advertising Club has announced its Managing Committee for the fiscal year 2025–2026 at its 71st Annual General Meeting in Mumbai. Dheeraj Sinha, CEO of FCB India & South Asia, was elected President, while Amitesh Rao, CEO of Leo Burnett South Asia, Publicis Health, and Publicis Business, was elected Vice-President.

Rana Barua will continue as a member of the managing committee as the immediate past president. The other office bearers elected for 2025–2026 are Punitha Arumugam as Secretary, Sonia Huria as Joint Secretary, and Pradeep Dwivedi as Treasurer.

TBWA India appoints Rohit Mukherjee as Executive Creative Director

TBWA India has named Rohit Mukherjee as Executive Creative Director at its Gurgaon office. In this role, Mukherjee will lead creative output and reinforce the agency’s Disruption philosophy across client campaigns.

He brings nearly 20 years of experience in advertising, including five years at Dentsu Creative Isobar as Group Executive Creative Director, where he handled integrated and digital-first campaigns. Mukherjee began his career with an internship at Rediffusion DY&R and has held roles at Publicis, McCann, DDB Mudra, and Bates, working with brands such as Airtel, Nestlé, Colgate-Palmolive, Dabur, Diageo, and Kia Motors.

Pizza Hut India elevates Manish Guptaa to Chief Marketing Officer role

Manish Guptaa has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer of Pizza Hut India, while continuing to lead the brand’s Digital & Technology mandate until a new head is named.

With the company since 2019, Guptaa has driven digital innovations, performance marketing, and data-led strategies. Managing Director Rohan Pewekar highlighted his strategic and tech-forward approach as key to guiding the brand’s marketing growth.

Zee Entertainment’s Samrat Ghosh resigns

Samrat Ghosh, Chief Cluster Officer, East, North and Premium Cluster, Programming at Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL), has resigned effective September 15, citing personal reasons.

Ghosh, who was designated as Senior Management Personnel, conveyed his decision in an email to ZEEL MD & CEO Punit Goenka and HR Head Rohit Suri. ZEEL acknowledged his contributions across its programming clusters and wished him success in his future endeavours.

Pernod Ricard India appoints Debasree Dasgupta as CMO

Pernod Ricard India has named Debasree Dasgupta as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Head of Global Business Development, effective November 1, 2025. Dasgupta succeeds Kartik Mohindra, who will take over as managing director for India at William Grant & Sons from September 30.

A 19-year marketing veteran, Dasgupta most recently served as Global Vice-President for Absolut since 2023. She has held leadership roles at PepsiCo in the UK and Ireland, Reckitt, Unilever, and began her career at Titan Company. 

Pantomath Group appoints Abhishek Gupta as MD and CCO

Pantomath Financial Services Group has named Abhishek Gupta as its new Managing Director and Chief Customer Officer. Gupta brings over 25 years of experience across financial services, retail, and telecom, having held senior marketing roles at Edelweiss Life Insurance, The MobileStore, and Bharti Retail.

At Pantomath, he will oversee Marketing, Communications, and Customer Experience across the Group’s key entities, including Pantomath Capital Advisors, The Wealth Company, and Asit C. Mehta Investment Intermediates.

FCB Ulka elevates Arnab Ray to Managing Partner, Growth

FCB Ulka has promoted Arnab Ray to Managing Partner, Growth. Ray, who has led Tata Motors’ PV and EV businesses at the agency for six years, will now oversee client partnerships, growth initiatives, and integrated business solutions. His elevation reflects FCB Ulka’s focus on nurturing internal leadership while strengthening client relationships.

Innocean India appoints Jijo Thomas as Vice President, Media

Innocean India has appointed Jijo Thomas as Vice President, Media. In his new role, Thomas will oversee integrated media strategy, AI-driven delivery and measurement, and the expansion of hyperlocal marketing initiatives for Kia India. His responsibilities will also include communications planning, consumer and media insights, and contributions to broader brand strategy across key markets.

Thomas joins from Swiggy, where he led brand media strategy, planning, and investments, bringing experience in data-driven and tech-enabled marketing approaches to his new role at Innocean.