Talent Tracker of the Week: new appointments and leadership exits across industries

New Delhi: This week saw a series of significant leadership changes and appointments across industries, reflecting evolving priorities in marketing, technology, finance, and corporate governance. Companies are reshaping teams at the top, with new CEOs, managing directors, and senior executives stepping in to guide strategy, growth, and innovation. The movements span established corporates, digital-first platforms, and global organisations, highlighting a mix of succession planning, strategic expansion, and talent realignment.

Manish Bandlish steps down as Mother Dairy MD after four-year tenure

Mother Dairy Managing Director Manish Bandlish has resigned and will leave the organisation on November 30, ending a tenure that began in March 2021. The company confirmed the development, stating that Bandlish is moving on to explore opportunities outside the organisation and acknowledging his contributions to its growth. Mother Dairy, which recorded a turnover of Rs 17,500 crore in the last financial year, said the Deputy Managing Director will oversee responsibilities during the transition under the Board’s supervision.

Natural Diamond Council names Amber Pepper as CEO

Amber Pepper has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Natural Diamond Council, effective February 1, 2026. She will oversee consumer demand initiatives, digital expansion, and industry partnerships as the Council enters its next phase. Pepper brings experience from senior roles at Tapestry, Farfetch, Harrods, and Mytheresa, where she led brand transformation, omnichannel strategy, and consumer engagement. Her remit at NDC includes strengthening the natural diamond category’s positioning, expanding digital engagement with younger audiences, and leveraging data insights to support industry outreach. She succeeds David Kellie, who retires at the end of 2025.

JioHotstar appoints Sahil Chopra as Vice-President, Consumer Marketing

Sahil Chopra has joined JioHotstar as Vice-President, Consumer Marketing, after previously serving as Associate Vice President, Marketing at the platform. His experience spans senior marketing roles at Viacom18, including work across JioCinema Premium, Voot’s digital marketing, and sports marketing. Earlier in his career, he led creative strategy for major sports properties such as the IPL, BCCI domestic series, Olympics and Women’s Premier League, and held brand management roles at The Times of India group. Chopra is an alumnus of MICA and ISB.

Yatra names Dhruv Shringi as Executive Chairman, Siddhartha Gupta as CEO

Yatra Online has announced a leadership transition with Co-founder Dhruv Shringi moving from CEO to Executive Chairman, focusing on long-term strategy, global expansion, innovation, and shareholder value. Siddhartha Gupta has been appointed CEO, bringing over 25 years of experience in enterprise technology and B2B SaaS, including senior roles at SAP, HP, and high-growth ventures. The change aims to strengthen Yatra’s position in corporate travel and support its international growth. In the past year, Yatra added 148 corporate clients with potential annual business exceeding Rs 700 crore, reflecting its strong trajectory in managed business travel solutions.

Burson appoints HS Chung as CEO for Asia-Pacific

Burson has named HS Chung as CEO for its Asia-Pacific operations, effective 1 December 2025. Chung’s remit expands beyond North Asia-Pacific to include markets such as Australia, New Zealand, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, while she remains based in Seoul. She previously oversaw China, Hong Kong, Japan and Korea, bringing extensive experience advising multinational companies across industries and leading regional teams. The appointment follows Adrian Warr’s departure. Chung will focus on leveraging AI capabilities and regional expertise to support clients across diverse markets, strengthening Burson’s footprint and operational impact in Asia-Pacific.

FutureBrand global CEO Nick Sykes and executive team step down

Nick Sykes has stepped down as global CEO of FutureBrand, alongside the agency’s entire global executive team, as Interpublic Group (IPG) moves forward with its merger with Omnicom. Departures include global CCO Gianni Tozzi, global CSO Jon Tipple, people & culture director Katy Nunn, global chief growth officer Lauren Maynard, and executive assistant Louise Nelson. Most senior leaders were based in London, with Tozzi in Milan. FutureBrand staff across markets will now report directly to McCann offices, with the London team transitioning under McCann UK. The changes follow IPG’s broader restructuring and job cuts ahead of the merger.

Mark Read appointed chairman of newly formed Kantar Media Board

Kantar Media has named Mark Read, former CEO of WPP, as Chairman of its newly formed Board of Directors. The appointment coincides with Kantar Media’s transition into an independent business following its sale earlier this year. Read brings extensive experience in global advertising, media, digital transformation and AI, having led WPP from 2018 to 2025 and previously headed Wunderman. He will support Kantar Media’s leadership in guiding the company through a rapidly evolving media landscape. The new board marks Kantar Media’s first fully independent governance structure under H.I.G. Capital ownership.

Scaler appoints Ratnakar Reddy as Head of B2B for India and MENA

Scaler has appointed Ratnakar Reddy to lead its B2B business across India and the MENA region. He will oversee initiatives supporting government agencies, enterprises, and digital-native companies in AI adoption and workforce skill development through Scaler’s industry-aligned curricula and learning tools. Reddy brings over 25 years of experience from senior roles at Wipro, Microsoft, IBM, and Google Cloud. His focus will include expanding Scaler’s B2B operations, strengthening its market position, developing programmes for IT/ITeS, GCCs, and government sectors, and building dedicated teams across India and MENA to address the growing demand for AI talent.

Oracle India’s head of marketing Geetu Bhatnagar steps down

Geetu Bhatnagar has resigned as Head of Marketing at Oracle India. She led marketing for Oracle’s Data and AI Cloud offerings and developed partner and ISV frameworks across Asia Pacific and Japan. During her tenure, she managed global anchor programmes and demand-generation initiatives through digital and immersive campaigns. Bhatnagar’s career includes senior roles at Microsoft, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Compaq, Telstra, and Autodoor Industries, overseeing enterprise, public sector, and commercial marketing, go-to-market strategies, and competitive campaigns focused on growth, market share, and product launches across cloud and enterprise solutions.

JioStar elevates Aravamudhan K to EVP, Legal and Regulatory

JioStar has promoted Aravamudhan K, widely known in the broadcast industry as Aru, to Executive Vice-President, Legal and Regulatory. Previously Head of Public Policy, he has been working closely with industry bodies, policymakers, and regulators on key policy and regulatory matters affecting the broadcasting sector. Aru has nearly three decades of experience in television and news media, having held senior roles at Disney Star, Viacom18, and other networks. He began his career with Star India in 2006 and has since managed regulatory approvals, compliance, government relations, and communications across leading media organisations.

PUMA India appoints Sridharan as MD, takes over from Karthik Balagopalan

PUMA India has named Ramprasad Sridharan as its new Managing Director, effective December 2025. Sridharan, who has over 25 years of experience in brand building across the Asia Pacific region, previously led United Colors of Benetton India through major transformation initiatives. He succeeds Karthik Balagopalan, who stepped down to pursue opportunities outside the company. Reporting to PUMA Chief Commercial Officer Matthias Bäumer, Sridharan brings expertise in commercial strategy, digital growth, organisational development, and retail operations, positioning him to drive PUMA India’s growth and translate global priorities into regional success.

RPG Group's Anant Goenka named FICCI President for 2025-2026

Anant Goenka, Vice-Chairman of RPG Group, has taken over as FICCI President for 2025-2026, succeeding Harsha Vardhan Agarwal of Emami. Goenka, who holds degrees from the Kellogg School of Management and the Wharton School, steps into the role as the chamber announces its new leadership team. Vijay Sankar, Chairman of The Sanmar Group, has assumed the position of Senior Vice-President, while Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director and CEO of Dalmia Bharat, has been named Vice-President.

Former DBS CEO Piyush Gupta takes on Chairman role at Temasek India

Piyush Gupta will join Temasek as Chairman, India, from December 1, 2025 in a non-executive capacity. He will work with Ravi Lambah and the India team on investment strategies, support for portfolio companies and engagements with government and industry stakeholders. Gupta, who led DBS Group from 2009 to 2025, currently holds board and advisory roles at Keppel, Singapore Management University and Mandai Park Holdings. Temasek CEO Dilhan Pillay said Gupta’s experience and relationships would strengthen the firm’s networks and portfolio access. Gupta described the role as an opportunity to work closely with the India team and build deeper partnerships.

Kritika Saxena takes charge as TCS Head of Marketing for India

Kritika Saxena has assumed the role of Head of Marketing for India at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), overseeing brand strategy and marketing across all business segments in the region. She will also manage TCS’s flagship Experience Center in Mumbai and lead marketing for the Public Services India and Rest of World (ROW) verticals. Saxena transitions from her previous role heading Corporate Communications and brings 15 years of journalism experience, including senior positions at CNBC-TV18, BBC Studios, and The Times of India. Her appointment strengthens TCS’s focus on storytelling-driven marketing and regional brand engagement.

Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar to step down after 26 years

Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar will step down on 30 November 2025, concluding more than 26 years with the company. During his tenure, Toonz expanded from an Indian animation studio into a global operation with offices in India, Ireland, Spain and New Zealand, producing content for international kids’ and family entertainment markets. The transition is being supported by acting CEO Viswanath Rao and newly appointed Finance Director and board member Karthik V. Kumar. Jayakumar will remain connected to the company while preparing to pursue a new venture in the global entertainment space.

Chirag Bhatia joins Frodoh World as National Head of Sales

Frodoh World has appointed Chirag Bhatia as National Head of Sales. In his new role, Bhatia will lead the company’s nationwide sales strategy, strengthen client relationships, and drive business expansion across India. He brings over 23 years of experience in digital media, AdTech, and marketing technology, having held senior positions at Channel Factory, DDB Mudra Group, Meta, Adobe, Yahoo, ibibo Group, and The Times of India. His expertise spans digital advertising, programmatic marketing, account management, and partner ecosystem development, positioning him to advance Frodoh’s growth and market presence across the country.

PRCI Delhi appoints Baldev Raj as vice chairman amid evolving communication landscape

The Public Relations Council of India (PRCI) has appointed Baldev Raj, Founder and CEO of Prius Communications, as Vice Chairman of its Delhi Chapter. The role comes as communication in India faces rapid information flow, heightened public scrutiny, and increasing demands for transparency and trust. Raj brings over 25 years of experience across multiple sectors, including healthcare, finance, technology, and public policy. He will support PRCI Delhi’s focus on ethical reputation management, technology-driven practices, AI-enabled capacity building, and professional development, helping communicators navigate the evolving landscape and strengthen public trust.

Jupiter Money marketing head Adityan Kayalakal steps down

Adityan Kayalakal, Vice-President and Head of Marketing at Jupiter Money, has stepped down from his role. He joined the fintech firm in May 2025 after serving as Head of Marketing at Veera. In a LinkedIn post announcing his exit, Kayalakal described his tenure as a significant chapter in his career. Prior to Veera, he held senior digital strategy and content roles at Byju’s and spent more than 18 years across organisations including the NBA, Bates CHI and Partners, Rediffusion Group, BBH India and Digitas India.

Reliance Retail appoints Srivats TS as SVP and Head of Marketing

Srivats TS has joined Reliance Retail as Senior Vice-President and Head of Marketing. He moves from Netflix, where he led marketing for India for nearly four years, following a five-year tenure at Swiggy overseeing marketing and customer experience. With nearly 20 years in consumer and technology-led businesses, Srivats has also worked at Quikr and Nokia across brand marketing, consumer insights and trade. An MBA graduate from IIM Calcutta, he brings expertise in brand development, consumer behaviour and data-driven marketing.