Category: Brand Makers

From Talent Factories to Open Markets: Why FMCG giants are looking outside for CXO hires

A recent study by Xpheno Executive Search tracking 800 leadership movements in FY2025 revealed that only 2.5% of CXO moves were internal elevations, compared to the previous year where internal promotions accounted for about 10% of leadership moves. (Image source: Unsplash)

Is the once-reliable FMCG “talent incubators” model losing its edge in the face of modern leadership demands? With giants now turning to external talent, experts discuss the factors driving this trend.

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.

Sunscreen showdown: Honasa’s Ghazal Alagh takes a jab at HUL-owned Lakmé

According to Lakmé, the campaign was based on in vivo testing — a globally recognized gold standard for evaluating sunscreen efficacy — conducted at an independent, accredited laboratory.

Ghazal Alagh and Lakmé ignite a high-SPF showdown, spotlighting transparency, science-backed claims, and rising competition in an evolving skincare market.

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.

The Big Break that changed Indian advertising: Piyush Pandey & Ogilvy

As it goes in the nineties' Cadbury ad, kuch khaas hai hum sabhi mein, there is something extra special about Piyush Pandey. His work has proved to be an inspiration across generations. His ideas and words have cut across India and the world. (Imaging: Triparna Mitra)

Piyush Pandey is regarded as the creative soul of Indian advertising and Ogilvy. A man who didn’t just write ads but rewrote the language in which India spoke to itself.

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.