MAM
Ad Club names jury chairs for Abby Awards 2026 categories
Chaturvedi, Sen and Chakravarti to lead Video Craft, Broadcaster, Young Maverick.
MUMBAI: When it comes to judging creativity, the jury just got a serious creative upgrade. The The Ad Club has appointed Shashanka Chaturvedi, Sumona Sen and Pallavi Chakravarti as Jury Chairs for the Video Craft, Broadcaster and Young Maverick Abby categories respectively at the Abby Awards 2026, powered by The One Club.
Chaturvedi, co-founder of Good Morning Films, brings a decorated career to the Video Craft category. A self-taught filmmaker, he has won close to 150 awards, including two Gold Lions at Cannes Lions, a first for an Indian director. His work spans brands such as Thums Up, Tata Safari and Cadbury, while his debut feature Do Patti emerged as Netflix India’s number one film in 2024 and entered the global Top 10 for non-English titles.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. Senior vice president for network marketing strategy and growth Sumona Sen will chair the Broadcaster category. With over two decades of experience, she has focused on blending consumer insight with data-led strategy, while driving marketing transformation and integrating MarTech and AI-led solutions within the organisation.
Meanwhile, Fundamental founder and CCO Pallavi Chakravarti takes charge of the Young Maverick Abby category. Having gone independent in 2023, she has built a portfolio spanning brands like Whatsapp, Airtel and Adidas. Her work has earned recognition across major global platforms including D&AD, Cannes Lions and The One Show, alongside effectiveness honours such as the Effies.
The Abby Awards 2026 will be held during Goafest 2026 from May 20 to 22 at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, bringing together the industry’s top creative and marketing talent.
With a line-up that blends craft, strategy and cultural insight, this year’s jury chairs signal a clear brief: creativity will not just be judged, it will be challenged.
Brands
Magellanic Cloud names Syed Ameeruddin CEO of e-surveillance arm
Keeping a sharper eye on the future, Magellanic Cloud is putting a seasoned watcher in charge.
MUMBAI – Magellanic Cloud Ltd. has elevated Syed Ameeruddin as Chief Executive Officer of its e-surveillance business, bringing its iVIS and Provigil operations under a unified leadership to accelerate growth in intelligent monitoring and infrastructure solutions.
Ameeruddin, a nearly two-decade veteran of the company, steps into the role after leading the e-surveillance vertical. His career trajectory—from Business Development Manager to the top of the vertical—reflects a steady climb built on operational depth, client engagement, and strategic execution across multiple subsidiaries.
Over the years, he has played a central role in expanding the company’s footprint, strengthening client relationships, and streamlining operations. He has also been instrumental in integrating acquisitions, helping align new businesses with Magellanic Cloud’s long-term strategy while stabilising performance across diverse domains.
More recently, Ameeruddin has contributed to securing key mandates spanning railways, the National Highways Authority of India, and the BFSI sector—wins that have bolstered the company’s order book and deepened its presence in critical infrastructure.
Commenting on the move, Joseph Sudheer Thumma said Ameeruddin’s leadership has been “pivotal in shaping the e-surveillance business,” citing his ability to drive growth, build teams, and deliver strategic wins as key to the company’s journey. His elevation, Thumma added, is expected to further accelerate expansion in AI-driven surveillance and infrastructure solutions.
The transition comes as demand surges for AI-enabled monitoring, centralised command systems, and large-scale deployments across mission-critical environments. Magellanic Cloud’s e-surveillance segment—anchored by iVIS and Provigil—has emerged as a significant growth engine, delivering projects across banking, transport, highways, and public infrastructure.
In his new role, Ameeruddin will focus on scaling platform capabilities, expanding deployments in complex environments, and developing integrated solutions that enhance real-time intelligence and operational resilience. He will continue to serve as Chief Operating Officer of the company alongside his new responsibilities.
With this leadership shift, Magellanic Cloud is doubling down on its ambition to stay ahead in India’s rapidly evolving surveillance ecosystem—where seeing, increasingly, is not just believing, but predicting.
