India's key CMO appointments & transitions in 2024

2024 was a year of major churns in the media, advertising and marketing industry with multiple mergers, acquisitions and consolidations making headlines. From the big RIL-Walt Disney merger to Adar Poonawalla buying stake in Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, it was indeed a happening year for the industry and thereby translated to some key role changes and appointments in the leadership, especially at the CMO level.

Many newly appointed CMOs brought a wealth of international and multi-regional experience to their roles. Executives like Saakshi Verma Menon at PepsiCo, appointed for operations in Africa, Middle East & South Asia, and Ryuto Shimizu at Honda Cars India illustrate the growing emphasis on cross-border expertise.

Moreover, brands are increasingly prioritising leaders with strong consumer engagement and digital marketing experience. Appointments like Priya Rege Jaggi at McDonald’s (with expertise in digital strategy from Meta) and Samyukta Ganesh Iyer at Sephora India (focused on customer experiences) reflect this shift.

As the year comes to a close, we look at the top CMO shifts in the Indian marketing and media industry.

Sushant Sreeram, Head of Marketing, RIL-Disney JV

Sushant Sreeram was appointed as the Head of Marketing at the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) and Disney joint venture in November. In his new role, he is expected to drive the marketing strategies of the RIL-Disney collaboration, aiming to strengthen their market presence in the entertainment sector.

With a robust background in marketing, Sreeram previously held significant positions at Amazon, where he contributed to the growth of Amazon Prime Video in India, and at Nokia, enhancing his expertise in digital and consumer marketing.

Partho Banerjee, Head of Marketing & Sales, Maruti Suzuki

In March, Partho Banerjee was appointed as the new Head of Marketing and Sales at Maruti Suzuki, succeeding Shashank Srivastava.

At Maruti Suzuki, he is responsible for steering the company's marketing and sales initiatives, aiming to enhance market share and drive growth in an increasingly competitive automotive market.

Saakshi Verma Menon, Senior MD, Africa, Middle East, South Asia, PepsiCo

Saakshi Verma Menon joined PepsiCo as the Senior Managing Director for the Africa, Middle East, and South Asia regions in January. Prior to this appointment, she held a senior leadership position at Unilever, where she was instrumental in driving growth and innovation across various product lines.

Dean Gomez, Marketing Director, Nike India

Dean Gomez was appointed as the Marketing Director for Nike India towards the end of October. With a strong background in brand strategy and marketing, Gomez is responsible for developing and implementing marketing strategies aimed at strengthening the brand's presence and resonance with consumers in the Indian market.

Shweta Dalal, Marketing Director, Nivea India

Nivea India appointed Shweta Dalal as Marketing Director, effective 30th September 2024.

She brings 16 years of extensive expertise across leading global brands at Unilever and L'Oréal. In her previous role as Global Brand Director for Lux - South Asia, Africa, and Global Bars, she played a key role in driving significant brand growth and innovation. Her unique experience spans creating and growing brands across South Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Europe, and LATAM.

Deepika Deepti, Head of Marketing, Bata India

Deepika Deepti was appointed as the Head of Marketing for Bata India in May. She was earlier the Senior VP of Marketing for Metro Brands.

At Bata India, she is responsible for crafting and executing innovative marketing campaigns aimed at enhancing the brand's market presence and driving consumer engagement in the competitive footwear industry.

Mahesh Kanchan, Marketing Director, Bacardi India & Neighboring Countries

Mahesh Kanchan took on the role of Marketing Director at Bacardi India in March 2024 to oversee operations across neighboring countries. In his new role, he aims to accelerate Bacardi's growth in the region by implementing strategic marketing initiatives and strengthening the brand's presence in key markets.

Shalini Pillai Banerjee, Marketing Director, Microsoft India & South Asia

Mid-August, Shalini Pillai Banerjee was handed over the role of a Marketing Director at Microsoft for India and South Asia. At Microsoft, she focuses on developing and executing marketing strategies aimed at enhancing customer engagement and driving the adoption of Microsoft's products and services across the region. She has worked with Google for nearly 8 years.

Sonal Kabi, Director and Head of Marketing, Amazon Prime Video

Sonal Kabi had joined Amazon Prime Video as the Director and Head of Marketing in August. With extensive experience in digital marketing and brand management, Kabi has previously worked with Netflix for nearly one year as their Director of Marketing.

In her role at Amazon Prime Video, she spearheads marketing campaigns aimed at enhancing the platform's user engagement and expanding its subscriber base in a competitive streaming market.

Manjari Upadhye, Chief Marketing Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Automotive Division

In July, Manjari Upadhye was appointed as the Chief Marketing Officer of Mahindra & Mahindra’s Automotive Division.

She began her career as a senior product manager at Colgate Palmolive and later worked with Ocean Spray Cranberries, PepsiCo, Mondelez International, and Danone Dairy. Additionally, she served as a full-time director for category management (apparel) at Amazon and was the Chief Executive Officer at Welspun World.

Mitali Maheshwari, Head of Product and Marketing, Tata Starbucks India

Mitali Maheshwari took over as the Head of Product and Marketing at Tata Starbucks India in July. She previously held the position of National Brand Marketing Manager with Redbull India.  At Tata Starbucks, she oversees the company's product innovations and marketing strategies, aiming to enhance customer experience and drive growth in the Indian market.

Karan Kumar, Chief Marketing Officer, Hero Realty

In December, Karan Kumar was appointed as Chief Marketing Officer at Hero Realty, where he drives the company’s brand strategy and marketing initiatives in the real estate sector.

Previously, he served as the first CMO of DLF Residential and his focus at Hero Realty includes elevating the company’s brand image and aligning marketing efforts with the organization’s growth objectives.

Anika Malik Wadhera, Group Director, Marketing, Good Glamm Group

Anika Malik Wadhera joined the Good Glamm Group as Group Director, Marketing in November. At Good Glamm, she will oversee marketing strategies across the group’s portfolio of beauty and personal care brands, ensuring consistency and maximizing market impact. Her role includes driving brand engagement and fostering collaboration between creative and strategic teams.

Malik was earlier working as the Head of Marketing of Sirona Hygiene for 4 years. In the past she has worked with Guru.com, Sapient Razorfish, Module One and more.

Charuta Saoji, Marketing Head, Colors (Viacom18)

In October, Charuta Saoji was named Marketing Head for Colors at Viacom18, leaving her previous position at L’Oréal. With extensive experience in brand marketing and consumer insights, Saoji now focuses on strengthening the Colors brand, designing impactful campaigns, and expanding the channel’s reach among diverse audiences.

Tarun Jha, Head of Marketing, JSW Steel

In June, Tarun Jha took over as the Head of Marketing at JSW Steel, where he works on enhancing the company’s market positioning and brand equity.

Bringing significant expertise in industrial and consumer marketing, Jha’s previous experiences include leading impactful campaigns for Skoda Auto India, Mudra Communications, Ogilvy & Mather, the Videocon group and more.

Ryuto Shimizu, Director, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India

Ryuto Shimizu was appointed as Director of Marketing and Sales at Honda Cars India during the beginning of April. With prior experience in global markets and a strong understanding of consumer behavior, Shimizu focuses on improving Honda’s market share in India.

Shimizu has been with Honda for nearly 25 years, handling their multiple markets including Japan and China markets.

Ankit Kapoor, Head of Marketing, International Business, Parle Agro

In March, Ankit Kapoor joined Parle Agro as Head of Marketing for its international business division. With significant experience in expanding brands across borders, Kapoor now is responsible for marketing strategies tailored to global audiences.

Prior to this, he was with Ananta Capital as their CMO for about 1.5 years. As the erstwhile BEO and Head of Marketing, lead Nestlé's MILO business in Central & West Africa and global brands like KitKat, Milkybar, BarOne. In his previous stints, Kapoor has worked with Nestle, SC Johnson, ITC Limited and Dabur India.

Samyukta Ganesh Iyer, Chief Experience Officer & VP, Head of Marketing, Sephora India

Samyukta Ganesh Iyer became Chief Experience Officer and VP, Head of Marketing for Sephora India in February. Iyer leads the brand's efforts to enhance customer experience while focusing on innovative marketing strategies.

Prior to this, Iyer was with Kaya as VP & Head of Marketing for close to three years. With a career spanning three decades, lyer has worked with brands such as Baskin Robbins, Abbot India Limited, Hindustan Unilever, Parle Agro and Asian Paints, amongst others.

Priya Rege Jaggi, Associate Director, Marketing, McDonald’s India

In February, Priya Rege Jaggi too had joined McDonald’s India as Associate Director of Marketing after departing Meta. With a background in digital marketing and consumer engagement, she will focus on creating dynamic campaigns that strengthen McDonald’s presence in India.

Nikhil Rao, Chief Marketing Officer, Mars Wrigley India

Nikhil Rao was named CMO of Mars Wrigley India in January, where he oversees the marketing efforts for iconic brands such as Snickers and Orbit.

Rao joined Mars Wrigley India from Mondelez where he was the Vice President - Marketing for Mondelez Southeast Asia (SEA). With a career spanning nearly 25 years, Nikhil has successfully traversed Global, Regional, and Local BU roles in Sales and Marketing during his tenure across Cadbury, Kraft, Mondelez.

In January, Damyant Singh Khanoria joined Sports18 as Director of Marketing, bringing expertise in sports and entertainment marketing. He takes care of campaigns that amplify the channel’s reach and engagement among sports enthusiasts.

He earlier served as the CMO of Oppo for nearly three years. Kanoria also worked with Apple and Adidas in the past.