Hires & Promotions: IdeateLab, FIFS, Havas Group India, HCCB

IdeateLab names Ravi Bhaya as CEO

IdeateLab has named Ravi Bhaya as its new Chief Executive Officer. This comes on the back of the company recently repositioning itself as ‘The Outcome People’ and marks a strategic chapter for the company with Bhaya possessing a wealth of experience in digital acceleration, marketing transformation and driving business growth spanning multiple continents including Europe, Africa and Asia. 

Bhaya brings to his role as CEO, a distinguished career at global marketing services organizations including Publicis Groupe and Serviceplan Group holding responsibilities across various management functions. These include client leadership roles, revenue growth, spearheading business restructuring initiatives and managing cross-functional teams. In 2020, leveraging his wide industry knowledge including that of diverse markets and cultures, Bhaya co-founded RSquared Global Ventures (R2GV) providing strategic consulting to scale-ups within the MarTech, Content, Commerce and Data space on growth, innovation and ROI. He holds an MBA from the University of San Francisco and spent his formative years as an ex-professional tennis player.

“IdeateLab has established itself as a leader in the digital-first marcom solutions space. My objective is to build on this foundation fostering innovation and expanding our digital capabilities to deliver measurable business outcomes for our clients, powered by creative excellence,” says Bhaya. “Our focus is on integrating cutting-edge solutions and data-driven strategies to stay ahead of market trends and further strengthen IdeateLab's position in the industry. I am excited at the opportunity and grateful for the faith the IdeateLab management and teams have entrusted upon me" Bhaya added.

Welcoming Ravi Bhaya to the team, Vrutika Dawda, Director shares, “We are delighted to welcome Ravi Bhaya to IdeateLab as our new CEO. Ravi’s extensive experience and proven track record make him a perfect fit to lead IdeateLab into its next phase of growth. We are confident that under his leadership, IdeateLab will continue to set benchmarks in the industry and propel the company into a new era of innovation and success.

With Ravi at the helm, IdeateLab is set to further solidify its position as a leader in the digital-first marcom solutions space, committed to pioneering new capabilities and strategies that meet the evolving needs of businesses amid their digital transformation journey. “

Federation of India Fantasy Sports (FIFS) welcomes Maj. Neil Castelino as CEO

The Federation of India Fantasy Sports (FIFS), India’s first and only self-regulatory industry body for fantasy sports, has appointed Maj. Neil Christopher Castelino as its new Chief Executive Officer. 

A distinguished Armed Forces veteran, Castelino brings a wealth of experience to FIFS. In his long career spanning over 20+ years, he has worked in leadership roles across corporate affairs, public policy, stakeholder engagement and operations.

Castelino has successfully managed national, state and regional operations and engagements at reputed organisations including the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Flipkart, and Bharti Infratel Ltd. He has played a key role in creating & influencing public policies, driving partnerships in logistics and warehousing and developing the ecommerce industry as well. His detailed understanding of solving complex issues in compliance and regulatory matters has made it easier for businesses to operate in different sectors. Now, Castelino is prepared to guide FIFS in promoting the online fantasy sports industry in India.

As the new CEO of FIFS, he looks forward to creating collaborations, promoting partnership opportunities and working on the policy and regulatory framework for the fantasy sports industry working with the leaders of online fantasy sports in India, Central, State governments and other important stakeholders.

Commenting on his appointment, Castelino says, “I am honoured and excited to lead the Federation of India Fantasy Sports (FIFS). The Fantasy sports industry is a Sunrise and burgeoning sector, I look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to promote innovation, and a fair and transparent regulatory framework to ensure sustainable development in the sector.”
 

Havas Group India's Chief Strategy Officer Anirban Mozumdar moves on

Anirban Mozumdar, who led Havas Group India as chief strategy officer, has stepped down from his position.

Mozumdar began his career at Rediffusion DY&R, and went on to work across Leo Burnett, Mudra Communications, Publicis India, chlorophyll brand & communications consultancy and 82point5.

He worked on a wide array of categories and brands in B2C, B2B, D2C and startups, and in sectors as diverse as technology, industrial products and, core FMCG.

As an entrepreneur and business leader, he helped scale small businesses and brands in communication and brand consulting.

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages appoints Harsh Bhutani as CFO

Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) has roped in Harsh Bhutani as its Chief Financial Officer. Bhutani will be responsible for leading HCCB’s financial operations, including business transformation, mergers and acquisitions, tax, treasury, audit, accounting and controls, reporting and analysis, and risk management.

Bhutani is currently serving as the Vice President of Finance for the India & Southwest Asia Operating Unit of The Coca-Cola Company.

“I am pleased to welcome Harsh Bhutani as CFO. With his deep financial and business experience, strategic acumen, inspirational leadership, and proven track record of driving strong financial results, his presence will strengthen HCCB’s financial health, steer strategic decision making and further bolster stakeholder confidence. His relentless work in making finance a strategic enabler of growth and being future-ready is well recognized in the industry. We know he will continue to drive the business forward and will be a great addition to the executive team. I wish him all the best in his new, well-deserved role,” comments Juan Pablo Rodriguez, CEO, HCCB.

With over 25 years of experience as a seasoned financial professional, Bhutani will be returning to HCCB after a tenure in Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia, where he played a key role in achieving double-digit growth on a year-on-year basis. He was responsible for the transformation of several key projects with system bottling partners across various parts of India & Southwest Asia.