Author: Kashmeera Sambamurthy

A good leader gives room for innovation and lateral thinking: Mitali Maheshwari, TATA Starbucks

"To avoid burnout, I focus on maintaining a balance that includes personal growth and professional development. Taking guilt-free breaks, whether it’s visiting cafes and restaurants, travelling, meeting people or pursuing hobbies helps recharge my energy and sparks new insights. These moments of downtime feed back into my creativity and productivity," states Mitali Maheshwari, Head of Product and Marketing, TATA Starbucks.

Mitali Maheshwari, Head of Product and Marketing, TATA Starbucks, touched upon the qualities of a good leader, her advice to next gen marketers, tips to avoid burnout, the work and life hack she swears by and a lot more.

NIVEA India announces Srikanth Iyer as Sales Director

In his previous role as sales director at Kimberly-Clark India, Srikanth Iyer led route-to-market transformations, implemented alternate distribution models, and partnered on product innovation. He also built high-performing teams that drove profitability and growth across categories such as personal care, baby care, wellness, and retail, establishing himself as a results-driven FMCG leader.

At NIVEA India, Srikanth Iyer will spearhead sales strategies, strengthen distribution networks, and enhance market presence.

IPG-Omnicom merger has put the spotlight on us even more: CVL Srinivas, WPP

"For any business to stay relevant, it's important to be on your toes. If anything, this merger has probably put the spotlight on us even more, as a leader in this market. We've seen some of the commentary about the fact that we've been able to continue to grow our business and that despite running a really large group we work pretty seamlessly across our agencies," stated CVL Srinivas, WPP’s Country Manager for India. (Image Source: Pressreader)

CVL Srinivas doesn’t think the merger will affect WPP’s market share in India, where it reigns supreme.

Zomato’s Blinkit launches Bistro to compete with Zepto Cafe and Swiggy’s Bolt

With its entry into this segment, Bistro will face competition from Zepto Cafe and Swiggy's Cafe. Zepto Cafe was introduced in 2022 to deliver branded pre-made items with non-branded items, further added the report. In November, Zepto made an announcement to expand Zepto Cafe to 120 cities in the country, which included Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Pune etc. (Image Source: Google Play)

Currently in the pilot phase, and operational in certain areas of Gurugram, Bistro delivers meals, snacks, beverages like tea and coffee in 15 minutes.

Yes Bank appoints Manish Jain as Executive Director

Manish Jain joined YES BANK in 2023 as the Country Head of the Wholesale Banking Group. During his tenure, he has played a pivotal role in enhancing the Wholesale Banking business, driving growth, and strengthening client relationships across key sectors, stated the company in a statement.

In his new role as Executive Director, Manish Jain will oversee key strategic initiatives and focus on expanding the Bank’s business horizons across verticals, driving innovation, and ensuring operational excellence.

Govt intensifies surveillance on Chinese companies | P&G India appoints Rohini Venkateswaran as Chief Sales Officer

These Chinese apps and websites have become hubs for money laundering in the country, posing a potential threat to national security and contributing to gambling addiction among citizens. In September 2024, an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) uncovered a ₹400-crore fraud involving Chinese nationals.

Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.

Swiggy elevates Sidharth Bhakoo to Chief Business Officer – Food Marketplace

Sidharth Bhakoo began his career at GE Money as product manager - consumer durable and two wheeler, joined the Royal Bank of Scotland as program manager - business banking, India, and then he was elevated to senior relationship manager. Then, he joined Vodafone as senior manager - SME sales, Vodafone Business Services, and then was promoted to GM & sales head, Vodafone Business Services.

Previously, Sidharth Bhakoo led Swiggy as vice president – national business head.

Dentsu India names Abhirup Datta as CEO – Sokrati

Abhirup Datta’s focus will be on expanding Sokrati’s footprint and reinforcing its industry leadership.

Additionally, Prajaktta Gosavi, head – performance delivery practice, dentsu India, has been tasked with leading integrated solution delivery for the Performance Practice across Sokrati, iProspect, Carat, and dentsu X.