Hires & Promotions: Outbrain, Warner Bros. Discovery, Mini India, Kalpataru

New roles added to Shouneel Charles' portfolio at Outbrain

Confirming the news through a social post, Shouneel Charles has been elevated to managing director SEA & India (channel partnerships) at Outbrain and managing director - Outbrain Global Talent Center (GTC India). 

He was appointed the managing director and country head, India and South Asia, at Outbrain, in 2021.

Charles' previous stints have been with Times Network, NDTV and Yahoo.

Warner Bros. Discovery names Vikram Sharma as head of consumer products for APAC Region

Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products head Robert Oberschelp has shared Vikram Sharma will be the next group vice president, head of consumer products, APAC, effective 1 April. Sharma will report to Oberschelp, head of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products (WBDGCP), and part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Revenue & Strategy division helmed by chief revenue and strategy officer Bruce Campbell.

Sharma will lead the APAC region of WBDGCP following longtime global consumer product executive Julian Moon’s previously reported retirement after 33 years with the company. He will be based in Singapore and continue to work closely with WBD’s Head of APAC, James Gibbons and with other regional and country leadership to drive and develop strategic, operational and financial initiatives to maximise the potential of key brands and franchises, including DC, Harry Potter, Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Discovery and more, in support of WBD’s global multi-billion-dollar retail consumer products licensing organisation.

Sharma has been with WBD for five years, working and leading teams in consumer products and licensing, ad sales, and partnership roles across multiple territories in the region. Previously, he spent nearly nine years in similar roles with increasing responsibility in India and Southeast Asia with The Walt Disney Company.

On the appointment, Oberschelp says, “Vikram has been one of our go-to, results-oriented leaders in Asia-Pacific for some time. His depth of knowledge of the vastly different markets and cultures of the region, along with his innovative and collaborative spirit, makes him the right choice for this time."

Oberschelp also adds, “We have a terrific internal creative and products team, great country and regional partners, and very strong bench strength in management. I’m grateful for everyone’s collaboration and support of this choice, and I will join you in congratulating Vikram on his leadership role”.

Abhinandan Gopalsetty revs up as head of Mini India

Abhinandan Gopalsetty joins Mini India, a British automotive brand owned by German Multinational automotive company BMW as its head. He confirmed the development on his LinkedIn profile.

His post reads, "Delighted to share that I've taken on the mantle of Head of Mini India. Excited to leverage my expertise and insights to drive strategic initiatives and elevate this iconic brand to new heights in our market."

Gopalsetty has been working with BMW for the past eleven years. He joined BMW India in 2013 as CRM manager and drifted to BMW Group as head of sales and marketing in 2016.

Having over ten years of experience in the automotive industry, he began his career by working at Maruti Suzuki India for a period of three years.

Kalpataru elevates Tirthankar Ganguly to president and CMO

Tirthankar Ganguly has been promoted to the position of president and chief marketing officer at Kalpataru, a real estate development company. Ganguly was the chief marketing officer of the company for over three and a half years.

Before working at Kalpataru, he worked in numerous organisations including Sobha Realty, Lodha Group, Taj Hotels, Accenture and Tata. His cumulative professional experience spans over 20 years.