Author: Kashmeera Sambamurthy

Democratization or Dilution?: The game of open agency pitches on LinkedIn

Despite all the negative aspects of pitching through this process, MullenLowe Lintas Group’s Krishna Iyer does hold out some hope, if it is done with ‘intent’. For new-age brands, the pitching process on LinkedIn allows them to bypass bureaucracy and connect directly with fresh talent. For nimble agencies, it is a chance to jump into the game—without waiting on formal RFPs or procurement portals, he said. (Image Source: Freight People)

Brands are increasingly turning to LinkedIn for agency pitch calls, raising questions about efficiency, intent, and the future of creative partnerships.

NODWIN Gaming appoints Shefali Johnson as Comic Con India’s CEO

In January 2024, NODWIN Gaming acquired 100 percent ownership of Comic Con India at a ₹55 crore valuation. Since the acquisition, Comic Con India expanded its footprint by debuting in three new cities — Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Pune — in addition to its marquee events in Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai.

Shefali Johnson’s leadership will drive the brand’s long-term vision — deepening fan engagement, growing regional reach, and solidifying Comic Con’s role as the definitive pop culture experience in the country, stated the company in its statement.

Nidhi Kaistha named Head of Lamborghini India

Nidhi Kaistha, who holds 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, began her career in the aviation industry, and was a part of the cabin crew team at Gulf Air and Jet Airways.

In her newly appointed role, Nidhi Kaistha will oversee sales, marketing and after-sales operations.

Havas India appoints Prashanth Challapalli as Chief Digital & Innovation Officer of Havas Creative Network India

Previously, Prashanth Challapalli held leadership roles at Publicis, Leo Burnett Orchard, and iContract, spearheading large-scale digital initiatives.

In this newly created role, Prashanth Challapalli will lead the charge in integrating emerging technologies with creativity, developing innovative digital-first solutions, and shaping the future of brand storytelling.

CrowdStrike appoints Karthik Sathuragiri as Director & Head of Marketing

Karthik Sathuragiri previously led marketing at Amazon Web Services (AWS) India and South Asia, where he played a key role in scaling the brand’s regional presence.

At CrowdStrike, Karthik Sathuragiri will oversee marketing strategy, brand building, demand generation, partner marketing, and field marketing across the region.

Riot Games’ Marketing Lead – India & South Asia Ashish Gupta quits

Ashish Gupta was instrumental in setting the ball rolling for Gameloft Advertising business verticals in India and worked with leading brands and media agencies like Airtel, Apple, Coca-Cola, Myntra, Maruti, OMD, Isobar, Mediacom, Mindshare etc.

Prior to joining Riot Games, Ashish Gupta worked as assistant vice president at Reliance Jio and led Games Ecosystem at for Games Stores for Jio VoLTE Feature Phones, Smart Phones, Setup Boxes, Cloud Gaming, VR, and eSports.

McCann Worldgroup India strengthens leadership team with strategic appointments

Prior to rejoining the advertising world at McCann, Kamal Basu spent a decade in the automotive industry, heading marketing at Skoda and Volkswagen, where he had launched iconic brands including Octavia, Rapid, Beetle, and Tiguan. Jyoti Mahendru was with VML India, where she played a crucial role in stabilizing teams and led the integration of people, culture, and structure across multiple agencies during their merger to form VML.

Kamal Basu has been elevated to executive director and chief growth officer. Jyoti Mahendru joins as chief talent officer.

Is the honeymoon over?: Why marketing vets & startups often break up early

For marketers, besides the fast pace, relative lack of structure, and the rapidly shifting sands of some startups, they often have to contend with more-than-anticipated funding and people  constraints, said leadership advisor Gauri Padmanabhan. (Image Source: Unsplash)

In the startup world, agility is often valued over pedigree. And even the most celebrated resumes can be tested by the unforgiving pace of innovation, leadership temperaments or circumstances and controversies.

ICC men’s Cricket Committee re-appoints Sourav Ganguly as its Chairperson

In 2024, Ganguly was named as Director of Cricket for JSW Sports. In his role, Ganguly would spearhead all cricketing properties owned by JSW Sports, including the Delhi Capitals Men’s IPL and Women’s WPL teams, and the Pretoria Capitals that plays in the SA20 League in South Africa. (Image Source: Cricket Country)

In 2021, Sourav Ganguly had first been appointed as the committee’s chairperson, replacing former cricketer and coach Anil Kumble who had served for a period of three years.