MAM
WPP inks global partnership with Acquia
MUMBAI: WPP has inked a global partnership with digital experience company Acquia to offer clients a full-service digital marketing and technology solution.
The new partnership brings together WPP’s existing Acquia partners – which include Globant, Hogarth, Mirum, Possible, Rockfish, VML and Wunderman – under the umbrella of the WPP-Acquia Alliance.
The WPP-Acquia Alliance is the world’s largest Acquia Certified partner and has two Acquia MVPs. Its members will draw on Acquia software, training and certification, collaborate on new business pitches, and share project resources.
Under the agreement, WPP agencies will provide creative, UX and development resources to Acquia clients, while Acquia will provide its open cloud platform to the WPP-Acquia Alliance to deliver projects. The WPP-Acquia Alliance is part of WPP’s Technology Partnership Program, an initiative led by chief digital officer and chief strategy officer Scott Spirit to coordinate and promote the Group’s relationships with key providers of marketing technology services.
Acquia provides an open cloud platform for building, delivering and optimising digital experiences. Organisations rely on the Acquia Platform to unify content, community and commerce. The company harnesses the open source content management system Drupal, which was created by Acquia founder and CTO Dries Buytaert. Drupal is used by many of the world’s largest organisations. The Acquia Platform provides a multi-site management solution, continuous support, and an environment for developing and maintaining Drupal sites.
WPP chief digital officer Scott Spirit said, “The growth of the ‘API economy’ is changing marketing, and clients require the ability to integrate existing technologies, data sources and media into a central platform. WPP is committed to working closely with technology leaders, and the creation of the WPP-Acquia Alliance gives us an open source digital experience practice at a time when the market is growing rapidly.”
“We began working with WPP agencies five years ago, and today our combined teams are working together on five continents, and unlocking the creative freedom to launch amazing digital experiences for their clients. The combined WPP-Acquia team, and the disruptive business they’re building, will deliver transformative outcomes to those organizations that are thinking ahead to a mobile-first, browserless world,” added Acquia CEO Tom Erickson.
Brands
Metro Brands appoints Harshvardhan Chauhan as CMO & SMP
Retail veteran to steer brand strategy and accelerate growth
MUMBAI: Metro Brands has appointed Harshvardhan Chauhan as its chief marketing officer and senior management personnel, effective 23 February 2026.
The move brings nearly two decades of marketing muscle into the company’s leadership ranks. With over 18 years of experience across retail, fashion, lifestyle, grocery, home and e-commerce, Chauhan arrives with a well-rounded understanding of how brands capture attention and convert it into loyalty.
His professional journey includes stints at Bharat YEF, Trident Group, RPSG, DLF Shopping Malls, ShopClues, Godrej Group, Reckitt Benckiser and Accenture, where he worked across brand building, strategic growth and business leadership.
Chauhan holds a master’s degree in business administration with a specialisation in strategy and business management from Symbiosis, Pune. He has also completed the accelerated general management programme at IIM Ahmedabad, combining academic rigour with hands-on commercial experience.
In his new full-time role, he will report to chief executive officer Nissan Joseph and work closely with the leadership team to shape the next phase of brand expansion.
For Metro Brands, the appointment signals a sharpened focus on storytelling, scale and staying one step ahead in a competitive retail landscape.
