MAM
IndusInd Bank-supported para-athletes qualify for Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games
Mumbai: The 21 para-athletes who are part of the IndusInd Bank’s ‘Para Champions Programme’ will represent the country at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games to be held in Tokyo between 24 August and 5 September. The programme was launched in 2015, in partnership with the GoSports Foundation with an objective to support para-athletes across various sports disciplines.
These 21 athletes comprise nearly 40 per cent of the overall Indian contingent who will compete with the best in the world across disciplines such as javelin throw, shooting, swimming, archery, badminton, high jump and more.
IndusInd Bank, through its non-banking sports vertical- ‘IndusInd for Sports’ supports programmes under the Corporate Social Responsibility Act 2013, that straddle the worlds of women athletes, able-bodied rural champions as well as elite para-athletes, with the sole purpose of bringing out the best in each of them.
Speaking on the qualifications, IndusInd Bank head – commercial & rural banking & in-charge of IndusInd for Sports, Sanjeev Anand said, “It is a matter of great pride to witness 21 of the Bank’s supported Para Champions represent India at the Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo. In fact, 40 per cent of the overall contingent that will represent the country are part of this programme, which itself, is a momentous achievement. We shall now wait to see them take centre stage with some of the best para-athletes across the globe, and wish them the very best for all their endeavours thereafter. Through our partnership with the GoSports Foundation, we aim to keep supporting all our para-athletes by providing them with the necessary resources in their quest to bring more laurels to the country. We do hope that the initiative goes on to inspire many others by bridging social barriers, building social acceptance, and creating circles of excellence in the years to come.”
The para-athletes supported by the bank and who will represent India at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games across a wide range of para-disciplines such as badminton, archery, and javelin-throw include Rakesh Kumar, Sandeep Chaudhary, Sharad Kumar, Amit Kumar Saroha, Jyoti Baliyan among others.
The programme currently supports 43 para-athletes across seven disciplines from 14 states across the country by helping them fulfill their nutrition, fitness & conditioning, medical support as well as domestic & international training requirements. The programme also takes care of expenses incurred towards coaching, competition fee, sports science, daily living expenses, equipment & gear, apparel, mentorship, among others, the bank said in a statement. “The narrative of para-sports has moved forward ever since the Rio Paralympics, and now entering its sixth term, the programme is also in alignment with several objectives of the SDGs to ensure sustainability and larger impact. Under this programme, the para-athletes have won a total of 615 medals until June 2021,” it added.
MAM
WPP appoints Estée Lauder’s Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as chief transformation officer
Former Estée Lauder executive to lead operations, technology and culture overhaul under WPP’s three-year growth plan
LONDON: WPP has appointed Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as chief transformation officer in a newly created role tasked with delivering the group’s Elevate28 strategy.
Choueiri joins from The Estée Lauder Companies, where she led enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, including the “One ELC” operating model and major upgrades to enterprise marketing, data and analytics capabilities. She also led the redesign of enterprise technology teams and served on the company’s AI taskforce, driving AI strategy, adoption and value realisation across the business.
At WPP, she will be responsible for designing, implementing and embedding the operating model behind Elevate28, the company’s three-year growth plan unveiled in February 2026. She will lead efforts to improve innovation, efficiency and integration across WPP’s client offerings, with a focus on delivering agile, outcome-driven solutions and measurable growth.
Choueiri will oversee organisational transformation across the group, working closely with product and enterprise technology teams to deploy AI, data and technology to build new capabilities and improve operational performance. She will also work with the people function to embed cultural change, strengthen an agile performance mindset and support talent development across the organisation.
Before joining Estée Lauder, she held senior roles across consulting and digital agencies, including at Accenture, Masaï (a Bain & Company spin-off), and Kearney, with experience spanning strategy, data and digital marketing transformation.
Cindy Rose, chief executive officer of WPP, said Choueiri brings a strong track record of leading large-scale transformation across operations, technology and culture, adding that her appointment will help accelerate the group’s next phase of growth under Elevate28.
Choueiri said WPP’s strategy represents an ambitious opportunity to reshape how the company operates and delivers for clients, adding that she looks forward to building integrated solutions and fostering a culture of innovation and change.
She will be based in New York and will join WPP’s executive committee.
