MAM
Mindshare announces senior management appointments
MUMBAI: Mindshare has announced two major leadership appointments to its leadership structure in Asia Pacific.
The first is the elevation of Prashant Modi to Asia Pacific COO. Modi, who was previously chief commercial officer for Mindshare in Asia Pacific, will take on the broader responsibility of managing the Singapore hub and working with Mindshare Asia Pacific CEO Amrita Randhawa on future-proofing the overall company structure and offering.
Modi has been with the agency and GroupM for over 16 years working across both GroupM and Mindshare in its India and regional office in Singapore. Modi is widely credited within the agency as a key reason for the company’s consistent delivery across the region.
Randhawa said, “There are few people who care about our people and our company as much as Prashant. He is the beating heart of Mindshare and one of our absolutely finest minds. I am delighted that this role is going to give him the canvas he deserves to make an even bigger impact on our organisation and on our people.”
Speaking on his elevation, Modi said, “16 years with Mindshare and it still is a dream place to work with great colleagues and clients. Mindshare has always provided a very open atmosphere to fuel personal growth and I am looking forward to continuing to contribute to our achievements and growing our business further.”
The second appointment is that of Rohan Lightfoot as chief growth officer of Mindshare Asia Pacific. His role is focused on developing high growth opportunities for new and existing clients with an emphasis on new products, innovation and digitization. Lightfoot has over 20 years’ experience, across the region based out of Singapore and in China, US and UK. Most recently he was with Isobar working on clients such as Pernod Ricard, Adidas, Yum!, Unilever and Coca Cola.
Speaking on Lightfoot’s appointment Randhawa said, “Rohan’s been on my must-hire list for years! He is uniquely placed having spent solid time in China, having a blend of creative, media and digital craft experience as well as working on some of the region’s biggest accounts. He understands the changes that the agency needs to deliver in order to continue to be a valued partner for our clients.”
Speaking on the move to Mindshare Lightfoot said, “I am so excited to be taking on this new role. It’s a perfect fit for my experiences and passions in my career. The breadth and depth of capability at Mindshare is staggering. The challenge of keeping the world’s leading media agency always ahead was impossible to turn down. I’m already loving being part of the team that Amrita is building.”
Brands
Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints Ramesh Iyer to board
Veteran financier replaces Ashok Gulati, who retires in March
MUMBAI: Kotak Mahindra Bank has announced a change to its board of directors, with independent director Ashok Gulati set to retire at the end of his term on 5 March.
The company said it has appointed Ramesh Ganesh Iyer as an additional and independent director for a four-year term, effective 17 February, subject to shareholder approval.
Iyer brings more than four decades of experience in financial services. He spent much of his career at Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services, where he served as vice chairman and managing director before taking on the role of president for the financial services sector and member of the group executive board at Mahindra & Mahindra. He retired from the group in April 2024.
During his tenure, Iyer was instrumental in expanding rural and inclusive finance initiatives, scaling the company’s assets and customer base. He also led the creation of subsidiaries in rural housing finance, insurance broking and asset management, and oversaw international joint ventures.
Iyer holds a commerce degree and a doctorate of letters, and currently serves on the boards of several listed and unlisted companies.
The board meeting approving the changes was held in Mumbai on February 17 between 6.30 pm and 6.50 pm.
