MAM
Wardwizard Foods and Beverages Ltd appoints Deepak Nambiar as head of corp comm
Mumbai: Wardwizard Foods and Beverages Ltd has appointed Deepak Nambiar as the head of corporate communications. With over two decades of experience, Nambiar will lead the company’s communication strategies to enhance brand presence and drive stakeholder engagement in the food and beverage sector.
Nambiar’s distinguished career includes a successful tenure as head of sales and marketing at The Indian Express Newspaper Group, where he honed his skills in communication, public relations and marketing. His career trajectory, which began in electronic media, has endowed him with a comprehensive understanding of both traditional and digital communication channels, making him well-equipped to navigate the complexities of the modern media landscape.
As the head of corporate communications, Nambiar will focus on elevating the company’s communication efforts, driving brand visibility, ensuring cohesive and effective messaging across all platforms and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders. His expertise and strategic foresight will play a critical role in enhancing the company’s corporate reputation and supporting its growth initiatives.
Expressing confidence in Nambiar’s leadership, Wardwizard Foods and Beverages Ltd chairperson and managing director Sheetal Bhalerao said, “We are pleased to welcome Deepak Nambiar to our leadership team. His vast experience in strategic marketing and communications, coupled with his innovative approach, aligns perfectly with our vision for the future. We are confident that with his experience, our brand will be able to establish a stronger connect with all our stakeholders through effective communication strategies and help the brand achieve better visibility, reach and recall with regards to our target customers and stakeholders.”
Speaking about his appointment, Wardwizard Foods and Beverages Ltd head of corporate communications Deepak Nambiar said, “It is indeed a privilege to join the Wardwizard Group and be bestowed with the responsibility of spearheading the communications mandate for Wardwizard Foods and Beverages Ltd. I thank the leadership and especially, Sheetal Bhalerao, for the opportunity. The brand already has a strong foundation and connect with the audience. My focus will be to take this relationship and connection to the next level and achieve deeper meaningful relationships with stakeholders.”
Wardwizard Foods and Beverages Ltd is focused on a proactive approach to corporate communications, with Nambiar’s appointment highlighting the company’s commitment to its operations. As the company expands, Nambiar’s leadership will be key in creating effective narratives for consumers, investors, and other stakeholders.
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
