Hires & Promotions: Omnicom Media Group India, PAFI, Wondrlab Network

Omnicom Media Group India ropes in Rita Verma as its Chief Talent Officer 

Rita Verma has joined Omnicom Media Group India as its Chief Talent Officer. She will be stepping in as a successor to Anju Kurien, who retired from her position after 13 years of service at the group.

In the new role, Verma is tasked with solidifying OMG India’s people-centric ethos, championing the group’s vision and nurturing future-ready teams to advance the growth trajectory.

No stranger to the Omnicom community, Verma has been in the network for the past 19 years – leading the HR function at DDB Mudra Group, part of Omnicom Advertising Services in India.

Her move within Omnicom is yet another signal to the company's culture of collaboration and promoting the best talent across its diverse portfolio of agencies.

Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) reports new office bearers for 2024-25

Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) has reported its new office bearers for 2024-25.  PAFI is a platform for corporate public affairs practitioners, with its members leading public policy initiatives for over 100 major Indian and global companies. It is at the forefront of driving ethical and respectful dialogue and interaction amongst stakeholders and serves as a professional resource for public affairs practitioners.

Deepshikha Dharmaraj has taken over as the President of PAFI for 2024-25 with immediate effect from Vinita Sethi, who completed her very successful tenure as President for 2023-24.

“This is a pivotal year as the world turns its attention to India and its influence in geopolitics, climate change, and business uncertainty," says Deepshikha Dharmaraj, CEO of BCW India Group (soon to be Burson India Group). “With the collective experience and guidance of PAFI’s exceptional past presidents, office bearers and the PAFI Secretariat, I am looking forward to fostering meaningful ideas and facilitating dialogue to support the government, policy and corporate decision-makers.”

Vinita Sethi, the outgoing President of PAFI and Senior Vice President & Chief Public Affairs at the Apollo Hospitals Group, adds, “Over the last year, we have implemented steps towards increasing member engagement through sectoral councils, hosted a very well-received 10th Annual Forum, and continued our efforts to build capacity among young public policy professionals. We also initiated a focused initiative towards accelerating the participation of women in the workforce and leadership. Looking ahead, I believe PAFI will continue to deepen this work and lead public policy practitioners across more areas.”

Chetan Krishnaswamy, Vice President, Public Policy, Amazon India is the new Vice President. Medha Girotra, Vice President- Communications, Asia Pacific, Mastercard is the new Secretary, and Shivnath Thukral, Director and Head Public Policy, Meta India is the new treasurer.

Wondrlab Network appoints Ritika Malhotra as Head - Digital

Wondrlab Network has named Ritika Malhotra as the Head of Digital. Malhotra's last stint was at FCB Kinnect as VP – West, where she was responsible for the P&L for their largest region and leading solutions for the brands managed from the region.

With nine Cannes Lions under her belt, Malhotra has worked with Future Group, P&G, Google, Shiseido, Amazon and HDFC Bank to name a few. She’s been instrumental in driving the digital transformation for brands, helping them transition from offline-centric approaches to digital-forward strategies. She’s also worked on marketing new-age platforms like TikTok and Disney+ Hotstar to enhance their digital presence and drive meaningful engagement.

On the appointment, Sanju Menon, COO, Wondrlab says, “We are thrilled to welcome Ritika to the Wondrlab Network. Her impressive track record, forward-thinking approach and leadership skills make her the perfect fit to lead our platform first thinking. Her key focus areas would be to create phenomenal value for our existing clients and shape the digital practice of Wondrlab to set new benchmarks. Her addition strengthens our team's capabilities and reinforces our dedication to pushing boundaries in the digital landscape by unleashing and delivering full-funnel solutions for our partners.”

Commenting on her new role, Malhotra shares, "I am thrilled to join the Wondrlab Network and lead its digital efforts in this dynamic landscape. Driving innovation, creating exceptional value for our clients, and adding momentum to Wondrlab's digital practice to set new benchmarks of excellence is what I am going to focus on. Harnessing the power of technology and creativity to deliver impactful solutions that propel our clients' businesses forward is going to be my core area of focus. The power of the Wondrlab Network with its full-stack offering excites me, and I’m so looking forward to it .”