MAM
Garage Group elevates Abhishek Misra as AVP instructional design and e-learning
Mumbai: Garage Group, a full-service digital creative agency, is pleased to announce the elevation of Abhishek Misra as assistant vice president (AVP) for instructional design and e-learning. Previously heading the operations at Garage Group, Abhishek brings a wealth of experience in developing and implementing market strategies targeting key sectors and managing new businesses.
Notably, Garage Group has recently ventured into the burgeoning e-learning and instructional design vertical, leveraging its robust capabilities. Abhishek’s expertise will play a pivotal role in driving strategic development, quality assurance, team leadership, performance analysis, stakeholder communication, compliance, and budget management in the innovative education domain. His expertise extends beyond theoretical knowledge in instructional design and e-learning because of his prior experience in the education vertical before he joined Garage; it encompasses a practical understanding of how to leverage technology, pedagogical methods, and learner engagement strategies to deliver meaningful educational outcomes.
Commenting on his new role, Abhishek Misra said – “I’ve spent nearly six incredible years at Garage Group, which has been the highlight of my career. With Ms. Anjali Chauhan and Mr. Saurabh Gupta as my mentors, I’ve not only grown as a professional but enriched my personal growth. With great pride, I embrace this new role and I’m confident that I can navigate its unique challenges and thrive. My vision is to further elevate our E-Learning and Instructional Design capabilities, delivering innovative and transformative educational experiences that will shape the future of learning.”
Garage Group co-founder and managing partner Anjali Chauhan said: “Mr Abhishek Misra has been an integral part of the Garage family for over half a decade. His intrapreneurial mindset and commitment have played a pivotal role in shaping Garage’s journey, particularly in pioneering the e-learning and instructional design verticals. Mr. Abhishek’s promotion to the role of AVP in our Instructional Design and E-Learning vertical is a testament to his passion for innovative education solutions that align perfectly with our mission to transform the learning experience.
As AVP, he will play a pivotal role in driving the organisation’s mission forward, spearheading initiatives that will further revolutionise how we deliver and facilitate learning experiences. We are excited about the journey ahead with Misra leading the way.”
Garage Group is a full-service creative agency offering services in creative, digital media, social media, video production, OOH, DOOH, ITES, e-learning, and instructional design. The company has expanded into Garage Productions, Garage Media, and Garage Music. Garage Group’s mission is to deliver innovative and effective solutions to its clients while building lasting relationships.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
