Hires & Promotions: Shalimar Paints, FCB India, Amazon, Rajasthan Royals, Snapchat India

Shalimar Paints appoints C Venugopal as chief operating officer

Shalimar Paints has roped in C Venugopal as the chief operating officer (COO). A seasoned leader with 30 years of business leadership and retail experience, he has a proven track record of profitability and business growth through strategic thinking, marketing excellence and operational expertise. He has spearheaded initiatives aimed at fostering a more focused, growth-oriented and sustainable business model. Aligned with Shalimar 2.0's vision of transforming into a new-age, tech-driven organisation, Venugopal is poised to lead the organisation's growth strategy, setting new industry benchmarks.

"We are delighted to welcome Mr. Venugopal, a dynamic, values-driven business leader with diverse experience, as the COO of Shalimar Paints. With his depth of expertise in strategic capabilities, operational effectiveness, and a strong track record in both developed and developing markets, we are confident that he will deliver excellence and innovation at scale for the benefit of all stakeholders,” said Aaditya Sharda, Co-founder of Infra. Market and Director on the board of Shalimar Paints Ltd.

Before joining Shalimar Paints, Venugopal held pivotal roles at Morton Foods, Umang Diaries, Nippon Paints India, and Kansai Nerolac Paints 

Venugopal comments, "I am thrilled to take on the leadership position at Shalimar Paints, a company with a rich legacy that continues to meet the needs of today's rapidly evolving consumers. My focus will remain on enhancing business performance and fostering growth through technology-driven services and innovations. Together with the talented team, I am eager to navigate the progressing landscape and propel the company to new heights of success.”

Ashima Mehra is the new CEO of FCB India

FCB India, part of the FCB Group in India, a global advertising agency network, has named Ashima Mehra as the new chief executive officer.

Mehra is an accomplished advertising professional with over two decades of experience building new-age brands. With a background spanning creative roles to strategic account management, she possesses a unique blend of creativity, strategic insight and client-focused expertise working in advertising agencies and also with noteworthy companies such as Reckitt and Godfrey Philips.

As FCB India's new CEO, Mehra will be responsible for overseeing the agency's operations, driving business growth, nurturing client relationships and fostering a culture of creativity and innovation.

She joined the agency from Leo Burnett India, where she served as an executive director and played a pivotal role in driving business expansion and enhancing market presence.

Amazon taps Krishan Bhatia to lead new global video ad sales team

Longtime NBC ad sales executive Krishan Bhatia has landed at Amazon as VP- global video advertising sales, a new position for a new team within ad sales focused on streaming TV offerings across live sports, Amazon Freevee, Twitch, Prime Video ads and third-party publishers.

He’ll be based in New York and report to Alan Moss, global ad sales vice president.

In a note today, Moss said he’s “excited about the impact [Bhatia’s] wealth of experience in the media and advertising business will have for our customers in the streaming TV space.”

Video advertising has become increasingly key to Amazon, whose CEO Andy Jassy saluted the company’s progress in the space earlier today in his annual letter to shareholders, noting 24 per cent growth last year to $47 billion.

Dwijendra Parashar joins IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals as head of marketing

Rajasthan Royals has appointed Dwijendra Parashar as its new head of marketing. He joins the IPL franchise from The Walt Disney Company where he was a senior manager for cricket and Cricinfo’s lead marketer.

He confirmed the news on LinkedIn.

In his 11-year career, Parashar has worked at organisations like Pidilite and Samsung Electronics. 

Snapchat India welcomes Saket Jha Saurabh to senior leadership team

Snapchat India has added Saket Jha Saurabh to its team, inform our sources. With an illustrious career spanning various sectors, Saurabh brings a wealth of experience to his new role.

Before joining Snapchat India, Saurabh served as the director and head of media partnerships at Meta, where he played a pivotal role in fostering relationships with India's leading TV networks, creators, public figures and other entities. His strategic insights and leadership were instrumental in scaling up Meta products such as Instagram Reels, FB Watch and FB Ad Breaks through strategic partnerships.

Saurabh holds an MBA degree from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and a PGDM – communications and brand management from MICA Ahmedabad. His expertise in business growth, strategic partnerships and digital monetisation strategies positions him as a valuable addition to Snapchat India's leadership team.

Snapchat India's decision to onboard Saket Jha Saurabh underscores its commitment to driving innovation and growth in the dynamic Indian market. Saurabh's appointment is expected to further strengthen Snapchat's position as a leading platform for creative expression and communication in India.