Brands
Judhajit Bal returns as growth leader to drive myHQ global push
DELHI: Judhajit Bal is back at myHQ by Anarock, India’s leading workspace marketplace, has announced the return of one of its early architects, signalling fresh momentum as the company sets its sights beyond Indian shores.
Bal rejoins the leadership team at a time when myHQ is preparing for its next big chapter. His mandate is clear and ambitious: take the platform global. Markets such as Dubai, London and Singapore are firmly on the radar, as myHQ looks to evolve into a globally recognised tech platform for workspace search and discovery. Alongside international expansion, Bal will also drive the business towards a profit and loss milestone of over Rs 100 crore within the next two years.
This is not unfamiliar ground for him. Bal was part of myHQ’s founding journey and later served as head of growth and marketing, where he helped shape the company’s brand, culture and scale. During his earlier stint, he played a central role in building myHQ’s tech-led brokerage model, expanding its footprint into Bengaluru, and launching key offerings such as myHQ Premier. These initiatives strengthened partnerships, including those with WeWork India, and contributed to the strategic investment by Anarock.
Before and between myHQ chapters, Bal has built a diverse track record. At The Coca-Cola Company, he worked on scaling new beverage categories, set up fresh distribution networks across 10 Indian states and reached over 100,000 retail outlets. A management graduate from MDI Gurgaon, he brings hands-on experience across growth strategy, P&L management, sales acceleration and team building. He is also the founder of Maidaan, an education-focused esports platform aimed at preparing children for the real world beyond classrooms.
Welcoming him back, myHQ co-founder and CEO Utkarsh Kawatra, said the company is hoping to replicate its domestic success on a global stage. The vision, he noted, is for the myHQ logo to become a familiar sight across international business hubs, reflecting India’s growing presence in the global prop-tech space.
For Bal, the return is deeply personal. He describes the role as a mission he has long believed in, driven by the changing nature of work worldwide. His focus, he says, will be on product innovation, global expansion and building strong teams, all aimed at giving people the freedom to work how and where they choose.
With this homecoming, myHQ underlines its intent to keep leading the conversation on flexible workspaces, not just in India, but well beyond its borders.
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.
