MAM
Nadal joins poker site Pokerstars as brand ambassador
MUMBAI: Just ahead of the start of Wimbledon multiple Grand Slam tennis champion, Rafael Nadal has joined online poker site PokerStars, lending his support to the site and inviting sports fans to join him in playing the popular game of poker.
Nadal is keen to learn the game of poker. Through mentorship with PokerStars pros and playing online, Rafa will draw on many of the skills he uses to such great effect on the tennis court to improve his game one step at a time.
Nadal said, “It‘s no secret that I love to compete and try my very best in everything, whether that‘s tennis, golf or video games. When I discovered the game of poker, I chose to join PokerStars because they understand what it takes to be the best and associate themselves with the qualities of champions. I‘m very happy to be working with them.”
Nadal will play poker in spare moments this summer while he concentrates on tennis. Later in the year, he will be able to devote more time to poker and be representing PokerStars in online tournaments, in advertising campaigns and at charity events. Details of these will be announced in the coming months.
PokerStars chairman of the board Mark Scheinberg said, “Rafa Nadal represents all that is great about competition – the mix of talent, intellect, dedication and mental strength that you find in champions in every sport. We are proud to have Rafa as an ambassador for the brand and excited at the opportunity to help him enjoy and improve his game.”
Nadal joins athletes who have chosen poker as their “other game” and who play with PokerStars, including other Olympic medallists.
Nadal will play a key role in introducing new players to the game of poker, particularly in Spain where online poker is surging in popularity following the recent awarding of government licenses to operate online poker.
Brands
Hardik Jhaveri named senior director marketing at Colgate-Palmolive Asean hub
Former Hill’s Pet Nutrition general manager returns to the company to steer marketing for South Asean from Kuala Lumpur
KUALA LUMPUR:Â Hardik Jhaveri has been appointed senior director marketing for the South Asean hub at Colgate-Palmolive, marking a return to the consumer goods major after a three year stint with Hill’s Pet Nutrition. He will be based in Kuala Lumpur and will lead marketing strategy for the region.
Jhaveri joins the role after serving as general manager at Hill’s Pet Nutrition in Taipei, where he led a cross functional team and oversaw the business with full profit and loss responsibility. The role placed him at the helm of operations in Taiwan, managing growth in what he described as a start-up style environment within a global multinational.
Before that, Jhaveri spent over a decade with Colgate-Palmolive across several marketing and innovation roles in Asia. As associate director innovation for Apac excluding China, based in Hong Kong, he led new product development and launches across multiple markets.
His portfolio ranged from developing specialised oral care products such as a diabetes focused toothpaste for the Indian market to launching premium oral care experiences under the Colgate Total brand in Australia. Alongside innovation, he also worked on launch planning, brand strategy and communications for the company’s oral care portfolio.
Earlier in his Colgate-Palmolive journey, Jhaveri held roles including marketing manager innovation, senior brand manager and brand manager. His work spanned urban and rural markets in Mumbai and customer development responsibilities in the Greater Kolkata Area.
Prior to his long association with Colgate-Palmolive, Jhaveri worked as brand officer home care at Unilever, where he helped drive marketing initiatives for the Rin detergent brand, including nationwide relaunch and on ground activation campaigns.
He began his career in advertising with Bates David Enterprise, working on brands such as IDBI Bank, The Leela Hotels and The Times of India.
Jhaveri holds a post graduate programme in management from the Indian School of Business and has also completed a level 4 diploma in wine from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
Announcing the move, Jhaveri said he is excited to begin his new chapter at Colgate-Palmolive’s South Asean hub and thanked colleagues and mentors who supported his journey at Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
