Hires & Promotions: JioCinema, Zee Media, Metro Brands, Bajaj Electricals, Udchalo

YouTube's Ishan Chatterjee to be the new CRO of JioCinema

Ishan Chatterjee, Director for YouTube India, will be leaving the streaming platform he’s been with for the last 13 years in several roles. Sources indicate that Chatterjee will be joining JioCinema as Head of Revenue.

This is the second big hiring for the streaming services disruptor, owned by Viacom18, which reported yesterday that it had onboarded Sushant Sreeram from Amazon Prime Video as CMO. Chatterjee and Sreeram will both be reporting to Kiran Mani, CEO of digital ventures for Viacom18.

Zee Media CRO Mona Jain to move on

Mona Jain, Chief Revenue Officer of Zee Media (ZMCL), is moving on from the organisation after serving a stint of 1 year and 6 months, reveal sources. Jain’s next move is not yet known.

At Zee, Jain was responsible for the revenue mandate of the network, focusing on linear and digital. She also oversaw branded content-led pitches to advertisers.

Before Zee, she was associated with ABP as the Chief Revenue Officer.

Before joining ABP Network in November 2019, Jain had spent six years at Zee Entertainment Enterprise, serving as Executive Vice President, AD Sales.

A veteran media professional, Jain has more than 30 years of experience in media marketing and promotions. Prior to her tenure in ZEEL, Jain was the CEO of Vivaki Exchange for almost nine years, where she was designated as India Head – Strategic Investments.

She has also worked at Contract Advertising and Mudra Communications in the past, where she held the positions of Media Group Head and Media Director respectively and was responsible for setting up media for various brands.

Metro Brands appoints Mohit Dhanjal as Chief Operating Officer

Mohit Dhanjal, who led Reliance Retail as Chief Revenue Officer - Reliance Beauty, has been appointed by Metro Brands as COO. He will be reporting to the CEO, Nissan Joseph.

Dhanjal comes with experience in business strategy, retail operations, business development, trade marketing, and more.

He has worked with Arvind Fashion, Raymond, Hindustan Unilever, Tata Teleservices , ITC etc, in the past.

He holds a Hotel Management Degree and earned a bachelor’s degree in arts- Sociology, Public Admin and Political Science. He has also completed an executive program at Cornell University.

Vishal Chadha joins as Chief Operating Officer at Bajaj Electricals’ Consumer Products Business

Bajaj Electricals has named Vishal Chadha as Chief Operating Officer for the Consumer Products division. Chadha brings with him more than 28 years of extensive experience across leading organisations such as Britannia, Nokia, Snapdeal, and Kohler, with a strong background in sales, category management, marketing, and general management. An alumnus of IIM-Lucknow, Chadha has distinguished himself with notable achievements at Britannia, Nokia and Snapdeal, demonstrating expertise in driving revenue growth and operational transformation. His tenure at Kohler as Managing Director- India & South Asia has given him a comprehensive understanding of all business aspects, further underscoring his proficiency to enhance profitability and elevate the brand to a top-tier position in the industry through strategic B2B initiatives and expansive retail strategies.

Shekhar Bajaj, Chairman of Bajaj Electricals states, “I would like to welcome Vishal Chadha as the new Chief Operating Officer for our Consumer Products Business. Vishal’s extensive experience and strategic acumen in driving growth and operational efficiency make him a perfect fit for this role. His leadership will be pivotal in accelerating our growth trajectory and enhancing our market presence. We are confident that Vishal will play a key role in our continued success and innovation.” 

Anuj Poddar, MD & CEO of Bajaj Electricals shares, “Vishal Chadha brings a wealth of experience with a proven track record in driving growth coupled with margin expansion. He blends a consumer-centric approach towards the marketplace with a focus on operational excellence to ensure strong execution. I am confident his leadership will be invaluable as we continue to drive the next phase of our strategic journey for the Consumer Products Business. Vishal’s expertise will help deliver exceptional value to all our stakeholders.” 

Chadha also adds, “Joining Bajaj Electricals is a remarkable opportunity, and I am excited to contribute to the company’s journey. The organisation stands out for its legacy of trust and commitment to quality. Its Consumer Products Business comprises a dynamic portfolio of iconic, contemporary, and premium brands spanning a diverse range of product categories that are integral to every Indian household. Given the ongoing strategic transformation and innovation-led approach, the business is well-poised to grow rapidly over the coming years. I look forward to leveraging my background across FMCG, consumer devices, and ecommerce to drive greater marketplace gains and establish a strong and sustainable consumer-centric business model. Together with the talented team here, we will work towards exceeding consumer and stakeholder expectations.”

udChalo appoints Shivam Arren as CEO

To fortify its leadership team further, udChalo, a consumer tech firm and National Start-Up Award winner has appointed Shivam Arren as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective August 1, 2024. In this role, Arren will lead the company's strategic direction, overseeing its expansion of services for the armed forces community and beyond.

Shivam Arren brings over 16 years of experience as a director at one of the tier-1 suppliers to Indian automobile OEMs like Tata & others, where he demonstrated expertise in ideation, product development, marketing strategy, customer relationship management, and business development. His background also includes roles as a Business Analyst at Cognizant and Software Engineer at Infosys.

An IIM Indore and IIT-Varanasi alumnus, Arren holds strong experience of working with companies from the automobile to Information Technology sectors. He is also a trained Dale Carnegie Trainer, having facilitated programs on leadership skills, team management, and strategic tools.

"We are excited to welcome Shivam Arren as our new CEO," says Ravi Kumar, Founder of udChalo. His extensive experience in business development and strategic leadership aligns perfectly with our mission to evolve into a seamless super app for our soldiers and veterans. We are confident that under Arren's guidance, udChalo will continue to innovate and expand its services, reinforcing our position as 'Desh Ka Bharosa' in all four domains viz housing, travel, shopping and financial services at the same time driving our business to the next level."

Shivam Arren adds, “I am honoured to join udChalo, a company that has dedicated itself to serving our armed forces and is now expanding its reach and verticals to benefit the entire nation. udChalo's commitment to innovation and customer service resonates deeply with my own values. As we continue to align with the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, we have a unique opportunity to revolutionise the one app for our soldiers for all their needs through local innovation. I look forward to building on the company's strong foundation, leading it into a new era of growth and service excellence, and working with our team of veterans and industry experts to enhance our services and parallelly create more employment opportunities for our fauji families.”

As he steps into his new role, Arren plans to leverage his extensive experience in product development and marketing strategy to further enhance udChalo's service offerings. He aims to expand the company's technological capabilities, improve customer experience, and strengthen partnerships within key industries looking forward to entering defence market. Arren is also committed to continuing udChalo's mission of supporting the armed forces community while broadening the company's reach to serve a wider audience. His focus on innovation and strategic growth to solve core challenges of soldiers’ is expected to drive udChalo to new heights in the coming years.