Hires & Promotions: GroupM, Puma, Zomato, WOW Skin Science

Vinod Thadani To Leave GroupM

Vinod Thadani, Chief Digital Officer Mindshare South Asia has stepped down from his position. As per reliable sources, Thadani is expected to join a leading rival agency soon.

He had joined Mindshare, the flagship media agency of GroupM, in May 2014. In 2018 he was promoted as Chief Digital Officer-South Asia.

Thadani comes with over two decades of media experience. Prior to moving to Mindshare South Asia, Thadani was the Chief Executive Officer of Madhouse India, a joint venture between WPP and Madhouse China, and played a crucial role in setting up India’s largest mobile advertising and marketing company.

PUMA India Appoints Prabhdeep Bedi As Director & Head Of D2C eCommerce

PUMA has appointed Prabhdeep S Bedi as Director and Head of D2C eCommerce in India. Prabhdeep will further accelerate PUMA India’s digital transformation journey and will be responsible for leading the D2C eCommerce business and the entire value chain of operations, cataloging, technology, account management and customer experience. Prabhdeep will report to Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, PUMA India and Southeast Asia.

Commenting on the appointment, Abhishek Ganguly, Managing Director, PUMA India and Southeast Asia said, “Prabhdeep brings a strong track record of driving growth-oriented strategies. I am confident that Prabhdeep, with his knowledge and understanding of the ecommerce space coupled with his effective leadership style will significantly contribute to our growth. His digital-first approach towards business will further help build the next phase of PUMA’s eCommerce journey in India. We are thrilled to welcome Prabhdeep to the PUMA family.”

Prabhdeep brings with him 13 years of rich and diverse experience in various domains like Education Technology, FMCG and Consulting. In his previous role, he was the Chief Operating Officer with Toppr Technologies Pvt. Ltd. for 5 years. Prior to that, he has worked with McKinsey & Company in their Chicago office and Procter and Gamble India. He holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and an undergraduate degree from IIT Bombay.

Talking about his new role, Prabhdeep said, “It’s commendable to see how PUMA has strengthened its foothold in the Indian market in such a short span. The rate at which ecommerce is growing in the country is unimaginable and I am really looking forward to driving strategic innovation initiatives for the brand, keeping in mind the heightened digital awareness of the new-age consumers of today. I am absolutely thrilled to join the team at such an exciting phase in the company’s growth trajectory.”

Zomato's Deepinder Goyal Joins Magicpin Board

IPO-bound Zomato’s co-founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal has joined the board of magicpin, as an independent director. Founded by Anshoo Sharma & Brij Bhushan, and backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Waterbridge and Samsung, magicpin is a savings app that connects hyperlocal merchants and brands with consumers.

Deepinder Goyal joins the existing board and advisors that consist of Bejul Somaia, MD, Lightspeed Venture Partners; Vivek Gambhir, CEO boAt Lifestyle; and Manish Kheterpal, MD, Waterbridge. Since launching in 2016, magicpin today has over 1.5 lakh merchants on the platform, serving 50 lakh consumers across fifty cities. It has also launched the OrderHere platform that enables local merchants to set up their online store within minutes, and serve online customers. magicpin simplifies catalog creation and management for local merchants/brands and offers seamlessly integrated payments and logistics from top logistics providers in India including Shadowfax, Dunzo, Rapido and Loadshare.

Speaking on joining the board, Deepinder Goyal said, “I am delighted to join the magicpin board. They are a high-quality team and I am excited about how they are being a driver of growth for local merchants across categories. I am looking forward to contributing to the company's success.”

Anshoo Sharma, co-founder and CEO of magicpin, said, “We are excited about Deepinder joining our board. He brings a wealth of experience from scaling up Zomato into the tech giant it is today. We are looking forward to his guidance and mentorship as we step into our next phase of growth.”

As lockdown measures ease across the country, magicpin is poised to scale up merchants and brands on its platform for online and in-store demand. It is already driving over USD 1 billion in annual revenues for its existing partners and continues to grow at a rapid pace.

WOW Skin Science Names Deepika Sabharwal Tewari As Chief Brand Officer

WOW Skin Science has appointed Deepika Sabharwal Tewari as the Chief Brand Officer. She will be responsible for driving brand strategy, digital content & communication, and product category for WOW Skin Science, Shaving Station, Body Cupid, and Nature Derma. Deepika has donned various hats in marketing & advertising over the years and comes from a rich blend of experience in brand building, marketing, communication, and business roles across multiple industry and consumer segments.

In her current role, she will focus on strengthening the brands in India and will drive deep consumer engagement across all channels. Customer Acquisition, Retention, and Engagement are key aspects of her role along with steering special focus on the e-commerce website. Range Creation, New Product Development & Introduction, Pricing & Promotions across channels, and Executing & Developing the product strategy for each of the brands will be her focus areas. 

Hitherto, Deepika worked as a Chief Marketing Officer for Tanishq and was responsible for the complete turnaround of the brand. She not only led the E-commerce business of Tanishq but also managed Mia and Goldplus. Prior to Tanishq, she led the team at Ogilvy India and was a Senior Business Head for marquee brands like Asian Paints, Ponds, Gujarat Tourism, and Hutch. 

Deepika Sabharwal Tewari, Chief Brand Officer, WOW Skin Science, states, “The essence to building a great brand and a great business is in the art of storytelling and WOW Skin Science is a great storyteller that focuses on natural & toxin-free bases and brings to everyone a sustainable approach with its product portfolio. I look forward to this journey of growth and innovation across India and the international market, paving the way for WOW Skin Science to become the global ‘Indian’ brand.”

Adding to this, Manish Chowdhary, Co-founder of WOW Skin Science, stated “We warmly welcome Deepika to the WOW family. With her extensive experience in building brands and consumer segments, we believe that she will truly help WOW reach the next stage of our growth journey. Rooted in Indian ethos and culture, the brand aims to bring a piece of India to every consumer in the personal care and wellness space. We are a digital-first brand that has grown across channels and markets but we believe that the best is yet to come.”