MAM
Publicis Capital appoints Lavanya Anirudh Verma as vice-president
MUMBAI: Publicis Capital has appointed Lavanya Anirudh Verma as its vice-president.
Based in Delhi, Verma will report to Publicis Capital Delhi executive vice-president and branch head Ashutosh Sawhney.
Verma will be handling agency‘s two businesses – Nestle and United Biscuits businesses.
Publicis Capital Delhi executive vice-president Ashutosh Sawhney said, “The Nestle and United Biscuits relation
ships are among the stronger relationships for Publicis not just in India but globally. It becomes imperative for us to constantly infuse and refresh these accounts with the best talent available. In Lavanya, we have found the right pedigree and passion to spearhead the hugely successful brands in their businesses.”Verma moves in from Ogilvy & Mather, where she was client servicing director and independent business director.
Verma started her career with IB&W communications and after nearly one year, she moved to Percept Hakuhodo. A year and a half later she moved to Ogilvy & Mather.
In her 12-year stint at O&M, Verma worked on brands such as Dabur, Perfetti Van Melle India, Mint and Dupont.
On her appointment at Publicis Capital, Verma, said, “I am excited about the opportunity at Publicis and their philosophy of contagious ideas that change the conversation. Of course, getting a chance to head the Nestle business is what sealed the deal.”
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
