Hires & Promotions: Perfetti, Simpl, 22feet Tribal Worldwide

Perfetti Van Melle onboards Gaurav Soni as head of media

Gaurav Soni has joined Perfetti Van Melle as the head of media. Previously, he worked as head of media at Domino’s between 2022 and 2024.  

Updating the new role on his LinkedIn handle, Soni wrote, “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as Head of Media at Perfetti Van Melle!” 

Before his tenure with Domino’s, Soni worked at Samsung Electronics where he handled media and partnerships – India and SAARC from 2018 to 2022. Before this, he associated with Starcom as business director between 2017 and 2018. 

Previous to his stint with Starcom, Soni has also worked as media director at Mindshare GroupM from 2015 to 2017. 

With over 14 years of experience, Soni has expertise in leading media, publisher and client organisations.

Simpl onboards Prateek Chugh as vice president Of D2C Business

Simpl has named Prateek Chugh as its pice President of direct-to-customer (D2C) business. He brings with him over 10 years of experience with companies such as Classplus and OYO.  

In his new capacity, Chugh will play a pivotal role in expanding Simpl's D2C arm by implementing sales strategies, cultivating crucial merchant partnerships and executing strategic business initiatives. As Simpl intensifies its focus on fortifying partnerships with merchants and expanding its customer base, Chugh's leadership will be indispensable in steering the company toward its ambitious goals. His wealth of experience and proven expertise in navigating complex market landscapes position him well to spearhead this crucial phase of Simpl's growth journey.

Welcoming to the team, Khanaz K.A, CXO at Simpl says, “As an organisation, we are committed to empowering businesses of all scales to go online by building state-of-the-art checkout solutions and complementing our ever-expanding merchant and customer base. In this endeavour, we are delighted to have someone of Prateek Chugh’s stature, who brings solid leadership experience in building and expanding businesses, as well as setting up strong, systems-driven organisations. As we scale up our business, Prateek will be a huge asset to us as we continue to drive forward our mission of building trust between merchants and consumers and offering a seamless checkout experience online.”

Chugh adds, “The D2C ecosystem in India is experiencing rapid growth, accompanied by its unique set of challenges and opportunities. Simpl is at the forefront of solving these challenges while helping to build trust with consumers. I am excited to join the dynamic team at Simpl and spearhead its D2C arm. Additionally, I am eager to explore the new merchant partnership opportunities presented by these themes’.

22feet Tribal WW bolsters leadership: Axon Alex now heads strategy; Shikha Davessar elevated to lead business

Strengthening its leadership, 22feet Tribal Worldwide has onboarded Axon Alex to lead strategic planning for the agency. Additionally, Shikha Davessar has been promoted to EVP and head – client business. Both will report to Vanaja Pillai, president, 22feet Tribal Worldwide.

Spanning a career of over 16 years, Alex is a MICA alumnus and began his advertising journey with DDB Tribal. Some of the key roles in his professional journey include strategy director at BBH India and managing partner at Jack in the Box Worldwide where he played a significant role in contributing to the agency’s growth. Alex boasts a strong portfolio with brands such as McDonald’s, Vi (Vodafone Idea), Mars Petcare, ITC Hotels.

Vanaja Pillai, president, 22feet Tribal Worldwide shares, “I am delighted with these developments at 22feetTribal Worldwide, building off the success we experienced over the last year. Axon joins us at a perfect time, with an enviable roster of clients and exciting business challenges ahead. He brings a wealth of experience from his 16 years in the industry, including key roles at esteemed agencies and a strong portfolio with marquee brands. His expertise will undoubtedly enrich our strategic capabilities and propel our agency's further growth.

We've made great strides in new business and creative wins and Davessar's contributions have been significant in making this happen. Her journey within our agency exemplifies our commitment to nurturing and recognising internal talent, and her elevation is a well-deserved recognition.

We can’t wait for the amazing journey we have ahead at 22feetTribal WW!”

Commenting on his new role, Alex mentions, “This agency in its previous avatar was where it all started for me, and I made the promise to come back someday. I’ve come back not on the back of the promise I made but the promise 22Feet holds.  The teams have built a reputation in being in the consideration set when you think about the top agencies in the country. Strategy is simply the process of charting the way forward and I hope I’ll play a part in our growth story through the work for our clients and the thinking behind it.”

Having associated with DDB Mudra Group for close to 10 years, Davessar’s experience extends across several prestigious Fortune 500 global brands including Britannia, Battlegrounds Mobile India, Diageo, Flipkart, LG and Mars Petcare. She strongly believes in data-driven decision making but she emphasises the importance of fresh creativity to fuel it all.