MAM
Havas Worldwide India strengthens strategy team with three new appointments
Mumbai: Havas Worldwide India has strengthened its strategy team by appointing Dhananjoy Ray, Aniruddh Subramanian, and Jahan Nargolwala as associate vice presidents – planning & strategy. All three will report to Havas Creative Network India’s Chief Strategy Officer, John Thangaraj and will be based in Gurgaon.
John Thangaraj commented, “I am thrilled to welcome Dhananjoy, Aniruddh and Jahan to the Havas family. The world is changing and so are we. Strategy needs to be more business forward, digital first and data driven than ever before and our journey towards creating a more converged, multi-disciplinary team begins now. Each of them brings a deep and divergent level of expertise and experience to the table. Dhananjoy brings a deep passion and excitement for all things tech and auto. Aniruddh’s understanding and experience on the CPG category is second to none. And Jahan’s digital-first expertise across multiple categories nicely rounds out the team. Their hires underscore Havas’ deep commitment to delivering insight & data backed strategic solutions that focus on keeping our clients ahead of the curve. That said, we’ve only just begun – watch this space!”
With over a decade of experience, Dhananjoy Ray has worked with agencies such as FCB India and Publicis India, contributing to brands like Horlicks, Uber, Pernod Ricard, Vivo, BMW, Google, Maggi, and Nokia. His expertise lies in communication and brand strategy.
Jahan Nargolwala brings nearly 13 years of experience from agencies including Creativeland Asia, Yaap Digital, and Law & Kenneth. His work spans brands like Pizza Hut, Uniqlo, Godrej, Taj Hotels, Coca-Cola, UPI, and RuPay. Jahan specialises in creative strategy, brand planning, and cross-functional project management.
Aniruddh Subramanian joins FCB India, with experience at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi and Famous Innovations. He holds a Master’s in Marketing from the University of Cincinnati and has worked across FMCG, FMCD, healthcare, and tech sectors with brands like Horlicks Plus, All Out, Bata, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India, and Google Pixel.
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.
