Hires & Promotions: Bajaj Group, Lowe Lintas, Netflix, Viacom18, Dentsu, Kimberly-Clark

Bajaj Group Appoints Neeraj Jha As Group President And Chief Communications Officer

Bajaj Group has appointed Neeraj Jha as Group President & Chief Communications Officer with effect from September 1, 2021. He will report to Kushagra Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Group and will be based at the Group’s Head Quarters at Bajaj Bhawan, Mumbai.

“I have long believed communication can play a crucial role in building successful organisations. The need has never been more apparent than today when organisations must communicate fast, accurately and responsibly to stay ahead and be liked in a digitally connected world,” said Kushagra Bajaj, Chairman, Bajaj Group.

“We’ve been on a constant pursuit to bring world-class talent on board to support our future endeavours as we move to the next phase of our growth journey. We’re delighted and excited to have Neeraj. He brings with him just the right mix of skill, experience and industry insights we seek." added Bajaj.

Commenting on his joining, Jha said, “It’s a rare privilege and honour for me to be associating with Bajaj. Few names can evoke trust, respect and pride like it can. I’m delighted and at the same time thankful to Kushagra for having made me part of this journey.”

Neeraj is a career-journalist turned communication professional and reputation builder. He’s held in his diverse 25-years corporate experience leadership positions at Reliance, HDFC Bank and, most recently, Bharti Airtel where he was Head of Corporate Communications & Corporate Affairs. The Times Group, The Asian Age, The Indian Express Group and CRISIL MarketWire (later Newswire18) are some of the leading publications/groups that he’s been associated with as a journalist.

Neeraj holds a degree in Economics from Ranchi University and a Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree from Mumbai University. He’s also a Columbia Business School alumnus.

Lowe Lintas Appoints Kedar Teny As CEO

Lowe Lintas has appointed Kedar Teny as its new CEO.

Kedar was previously working for - Avataar.me - a visual discovery platform, where he served as the Senior VP & Country Head.

Kedar had first joined Lintas in 1999 and built his decade-long career in advertising. While at Lintas, he led account management and strategic planning functions for key businesses in multiple geographies across India and SEA. Later, he held senior marketing and business leadership roles across blue-chip organizations such as Airtel, HUL, McDonald's and Sony Entertainment Television. He has also shaped early-stage startups such as Tilt Brand Solutions and Avataar.me.

Speaking about Kedar’s appointment, Amer Jaleel, Group CCO & Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group said, “It’s almost as if Kedar’s education and achievements with marketing were ordained and timed beautifully for Lowe Lintas’ transformation and make us best placed to be both hub and spokes to brand needs. His insider understanding of the requirements of brands alongside his belief and grooming on the strategic centrality of brand visioning to business success is quite unmatched in the industry, today. Kedar’s leadership has bounce, energy and a light touch. Exactly how we like it at Lintas!”

Virat Tandon, Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group added, “Over my interactions, I found that Kedar was totally made for this job as he has strategic clarity on the future of our industry. He brings with himself invaluable expertise in marketing and a passion for brands and creative products. Moreover, he is a great believer and practitioner of technology in marketing to drive growth. And of course, he is a great fit culturally and is fun to work with. So, he fits perfectly into our vision for the future of Lowe Lintas.”

Looking forward to his new role, Kedar says, “I am really excited as I return to Lowe Lintas after 14 years. It’s a rare opportunity to be tasked with driving transformation for one’s alma mater and I am humbled and honoured to be given this responsibility. 22 years ago, I was clear that if there was an advertising culture to be part of it had to be Lintas and 22 years later I still feel the same. I look forward to working closely with the accomplished MullenLowe Lintas Group leadership team as well as partnering with some old friends and new collaborations to build brands for the future.”

As CEO at Lowe Lintas, Kedar will spearhead transformation and widen its sphere of impact through Hyperbundled solutions to clients and brand owners.

Lucinda Martinez Joins Netflix As Vice President Of Multicultural Marketing

Lucinda Martinez, a veteran marketing executive who spent more than 20 years with HBO, has joined Netflix as vice president of multicultural marketing.

Martinez will establish a multicultural marketing team and lead Netflix's targeted marketing efforts to the Latino, Black, Asian, LBGTQ, and faith audiences in this newly created position. Martinez will report to Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John when she starts her new job later this month.

“We want our marketing to be just as entertaining and inclusive as our films and shows, and want to ignite conversations about our brand worldwide,” said Netflix CMO Bozoma Saint John. “Lucinda is a leader in the space and under her direction, we will continue to sharpen the inclusion lens in our marketing and engage our audiences in authentic and culturally relevant ways,” he added.

Martinez most recently served as executive vice president of HBO and HBO Max brand marketing, responsible for developing a distinct, resonant and inclusive brand narrative for HBO and HBO Max. She also led the expansion of talent development and emerging artist programs across all WarnerMedia brands.

“When I received the call from Netflix with the opportunity of building from the ground up a global multicultural marketing team, it was a pivotal moment that I could not resist,” said Martinez on receiving her new role. “I look forward to amplifying Netflix’s authentic storytelling and continue to elevate and celebrate diverse audiences worldwide,” she added.

Aniket Joshi To Lead Viacom18's Colors Marathi As Business Head

Aniket Joshi has been appointed as the new business head for Colors Marathi by Viacom18. He will report to Ravish Kumar, Viacom18's head of regional entertainment (Kannada and Marathi Clusters), and will be in charge of the channel's overall business strategy and operations.

Joshi has 17 years of expertise and formerly served as the business leader of Sun Marathi. With companies like Zee Marathi and Mindshare, he has vast experience overseeing overall business, marketing, research, and media planning.

Ravish Kumar, head of Viacom18's regional entertainment (Kannada and Marathi Clusters) said, “Marathi broadcast entertainment has been on an upward journey across the board - be it fiction, non-fiction and even films. We at Colors Marathi have been on an exhilarating journey so far, strengthening our position amongst audiences and advertisers. Aniket has a strong background in planning and strategy and we are glad to have him on board, as Colors Marathi moves on to the next phase of growth.”

On his appointment, Joshi said, “The Marathi television ecosystem is rapidly evolving to create a unique confluence of entertainment that caters to both urban and rural Maharashtra. Colors Marathi is one of the market leaders that has ably balanced the content expectations of its viewers with outreach opportunities for advertisers. I look forward to dialling up the footprint of the brand across both these target audiences.”

Agnello Dias Resigns From Dentsu As A Consultant

Agnello Dias, Taproot Dentsu's co-founder and previous CCO, has resigned. He will remain with the firm as a consultant for important brands only.

According to a source familiar with the matter, his departure is part of a larger transformation.“This is a part of global rebranding where the company is looking at fully integrating its brand portfolio, from over 160 brands to six global leadership brands by 2022.”

Dias has worked at agencies like Lintas, Leo Burnett, and JWT for over 18 years and is considered one of the country's best creative minds.

Kimberly-Clark Appoints Radhika Tomar Its New CHRO 

FMCG brand, Kimberly-Clark has announced the appointment of Radhika Tomar as their Chief Human Resources Officer. With a career spanning across 15 years, Radhika joins Kimberly-Clark after having served as the Global Head of Learning and Development at Dyson. Her diverse experience in human resources and talent development also includes stints with multinational giants like Microsoft, McKinsey and Aon Hewitt.

In her new role, Radhika will lead Kimberly-Clark’s human resources strategy, focused on transformation, cultural development, talent management, D&I initiatives and continued growth. 

Mainak Dhar, Managing Director, Kimberly-Clark India, said, “I am thrilled to have Radhika as a part of our India Leadership Team. With her wealth of knowledge and collaborative, people-first leadership style, Radhika brings a fresh perspective to employee development, and I look forward to benefitting from her leadership as we shape the next phase of our growth.”

“The pandemic has shown us that a people-focused culture can effectively help drive up productivity, and I am confident that Radhika’s expertise will help us build a highly-resilient workforce and employee-first environment,” he added.

"I am delighted to be joining an organization that recognizes the role of an engaged and inclusive team to grow and transform the business. As I begin my new journey at Kimberly-Clark, I look forward to collaborating across the organization to help shape the culture, capabilities and organization for the future and contribute to building an engaged, passionate and diverse workforce to fuel our ambitious vision," said Radhika.