MAM
Starcom onboards Niti Kumar as chief operating officer
NEW DELHI: Media agency Starcom has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Niti Kumar as chief operating officer. She will be responsible for client deliverables, revenue growth, and new business development across the agency’s offices.
Kumar will report to Starcom India CEO Rathi Gangappa, and will work closely with the senior leadership at Publicis Media to consolidate businesses and drive integrated solutions.
During her 20 years in the media and marketing industry, she has dabbled in media planning, marketing, digital communications, and media investment management, and has worked across a variety of categories like publishing, FMCG, telecom, automobiles, garments, and BFSI.
Gangappa said, “I believe that there is immense growth potential in the market today, especially considering the shifts we are likely to see in consumer and workplace habits in a post- pandemic era. This is the right time for Starcom to recruit the right talent, drive future-focused capabilities and to grow the agency’s business through innovative and organic streams.”
Before joining Starcom, Kumar was the senior vice president at Penguin Random House India, where she spearheaded marketing along with the digital and data initiatives of the organisation. A graduate from MICA, she has held leadership roles at GroupM (managing partner north & east at Mediacom) and Mudra Communications (office head, media, Delhi & Kolkata).
A TEDx speaker, Kumar has closely led and managed media investments and strategy for global and local businesses like Mars Wrigley, Shell Plc, Makemytrip.com, Gillette, Amway and Reckitt Benckiser, to name a few.
“I’ve always believed in the power of communications to influence a brand’s business impact and their relationship with consumers,” said Kumar. “Starcom has a diverse and interesting portfolio of clients, and I’m looking forward to working with them to drive more value, innovation and effectiveness for their media investments while also using the agency’s unique offerings to grow and strengthen the teams and the business.”
Brands
Oyo parent Prism appoints former Sebi chief Ajay Tyagi to Board
Former market regulator joins Prism to strengthen governance for IPO
NEW DELHI: Prism, the parent entity of Oyo, has appointed former Sebi chairman Ajay Tyagi as an independent director, as the hospitality firm gears up for its planned Rs 6,650 crore initial public offering (IPO).
Tyagi, a 1984-batch IAS officer, served as chairman of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) from 2017 to 2022. His appointment is aimed at strengthening the company’s governance framework and providing strategic oversight as it moves closer to a public listing.
He joins a high-profile board that already includes several prominent names from global business and policy circles. These include Troy Matthew Alstead, former CFO and group president of Starbucks; Aditya Ghosh, co-founder of Akasa Air; Deepa Malik, paralympic athlete and Padma Shri awardee; William Steve Albrecht, professor of accountancy at Utah State University; and Bejul Somaia, partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Prism founder Ritesh Agarwal, said Tyagi’s experience in capital markets regulation and public-institution stewardship will be critical as the company scales operations and enhances long-term accountability.
The company recently filed preliminary papers with Sebi to raise Rs 6,650 crore through a confidential route. Market sources estimate its valuation will be in the range of $7 billion to $8 billion.
Over the course of his career, Tyagi has held senior roles in the ministry of finance, where he oversaw investment policy and financial-sector reforms. His induction to the Prism board signals a renewed focus on aligning the company’s internal standards with the stringent requirements of public markets as it advances toward its IPO.
