MAM
CoinSwitch brings in R Venkatesh as SVP of public policy
Mumbai: Homegrown crypto unicorn CoinSwitch has announced the appointment of R Venkatesh as senior vice president of public policy.
Venkatesh will work on policy, regulation, and external affairs to help create a regulatory framework for crypto assets in India, which fosters growth and innovation with consumer protection at the forefront, said the company in a statement.
“I am delighted to welcome Venkatesh to the CoinSwitch team,” said CoinSwitch founder and CEO Ashish Singhal. “His rich experience across organisations with significant government interfaces will help accelerate our vision towards building a wealth-tech platform that customers and regulators can trust.”
Venkatesh comes with nearly 25 years of experience in policy and government relations spanning diverse industries, including e-commerce, oil and gas, liquor, banking, and tobacco, with complex policy challenges impacting business operations. Most recently, Venkatesh was associated with MakeMyTrip India as the head of corporate affairs.
“I am excited to join CoinSwitch on their mission to make money equal for all, keeping customer protection at the forefront,” stated R Venkatesh on his new assignment. “My top priority is to work closely with the industry and the Government to help create a progressive regulatory framework for this emerging but attractive asset class to support more Indians in their financial journey.”
CoinSwitch, in September 2021, raised $260 million in Series C funding from Coinbase Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) to become India’s most valued crypto unicorn at a valuation of $1.9 billion.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
