Hires & Promotions: Asus, Nissan, Coca Cola, HP, Infectious Advertising

Vaibhav Kulkarni joins Asus as head of PR and channel marketing

Vaibhav Kulkarni has taken on the role of head of public relations and channel marketing at Asus, overseeing the company's smartphones and commercial PC divisions.

Kulkarni became a part of ASUS in December of the previous year, coming from a role as assistant vice president (AVP) of branding and marketing at FINVASIA.

His experience also includes leading public affairs, branding and communications at Swift. Further, Kulkarni brings valuable insights from a significant tenure of almost seven years at Kingston Technology, where he worked in both India and the Philippines.

Nissan elevates Mohan Wilson as director - marketing and corporate strategy

Mohan Wilson, who led Nissan Motor Corporation as director - marketing, product and customer experience, has been elevated to the position of director - marketing and corporate strategy.

In his past role, his skills ranged from media planning, automotive, electric vehicles, EV, product launch, strategy, ecommerce, advertising, etc.

He started his career at Gothaer AG and went on to work across AXA, Audi India, Audi AG and INFINITI Motor Company.

As the head of global marketing planning at INFINITI Motor Company, Wilson was responsible for the global marketing planning function reporting directly to the global head of M&S Division.

He planned and coordinated global marketing investments (HQ + Regions) for all marketing and sales functions across markets.

He conceptualised data-driven marketing strategy (precision marketing) to reach customers throughout their journey based on data-driven insights, personalisation and a customer-centric mindset.

He facilitated global media business partnerships and projects with Renault Nissan Mitsubishi Alliance partners (f.e. Google, Facebook, Twitter).

HP elevates Prashant Jain as head of marketing - North West, Europe

HP has elevated Prashant Jain as the head of marketing for the North Western region of Europe. Previously, he held the designation of senior director of marketing at HP, where he drove AI-led transformation of the marketing function and built brand communities, digital engagement products and programs.

Jain began his career at ITC and went on to work across Unilever and Flipkart.

As the category head at Flipkart, Jain created the growth strategy for the business. He led innovations in customer experience and built relationships with key partners including global and local brands. He scaled the category to USD 300 million, leading market share gain while improving profitability. Built and led a 22 member team.

The Coca-Cola Company elevates Kaustubh Jha as global cricket lead

Kaustubh Jha has been elevated to the position of global cricket lead at the Coca-Cola Company.

Jha began his career as a consultant (media and advertising) at WWF - India. Then, he went on to work across Lodestar Universal, MTV India and ESPN.

At ESPN, Jha managed the re-entry of the ESPN brand in the broadcast business in India and launched SONY ESPN in collaboration with Sony Pictures Network. He launched the only multi sports destination in India – ESPN.in.

He co-developed and marketed content for ESPN’s digital platform ESPNcricinfo and ESPN.in - including live studio content for the online streaming of EURO 16, Australia Open etc. He launched ESPN Films - the critically-acclaimed, Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series of documentaries in India. Jha facilitated brand tie-ups with Facebook, Google, YouTube, Red Bull etc.

Infectious Advertising ropes in Prashanth Kumar as chief digital officer

Infectious Advertising has roped in Prashanth Kumar as its chief digital officer. Kumar has worked in India, South East Asia, China, the UK, and the GCC with agencies like Dentsu Aegis, Publicis, WPP, and Interpublic.

Kumar has nearly 25 years of experience leading brands across a multitude of sectors including automotive, beverage, BFSI, construction, entertainment, FMCG, healthcare, hospitality, real estate, travel, tourism, governmental, and PSUs. From crafting integrated strategies as a digital strategist to spearheading the client services function, he has consistently championed the digital medium, serving as a digital evangelist for both brands and agencies alike.

Speaking about his move to Infectious Advertising, Kumar says, ‘In India's digital landscape, few agencies grasp both brand essence and effective content creation for long-term brand growth. Infectious embodies this rare fusion, and I'm thrilled to align with their vision.’

Commenting on the appointment, Nisha Singhania, chief executive officer and managing partner of Infectious Advertising adds, ‘Prashanth is a rare combination of digital, strategy and business. His vast experience across geographies and categories will enable him to add immense value to our varied clients. We are delighted to have him on board and look forward to working together.’