MAM
Dentsu Webchutney appoints Pravin Sutar as executive creative director
MUMBAI: Dentsu Webchutney, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has appointed Pravin Sutar as executive creative director.
He will be based out of the agency’s Mumbai office. His last stint was with Leo Burnett, where he handled some of the biggest brands in the country including HDFC Bank, HDFC Life, Amazon and Park Avenue.
With over 17 years of cross-category, cross-platform experience along with a diverse set of exposure spanning marketing, digital and creative, Sutar is all set to lead the charge for the agency.
Dentsu Webchutney EVP and branch head Nishi Kant says, “It is great to have someone of Pravin’s experience onboard in the digital environment. His enthusiasm for his craft, I’m hoping will spread infectiously through the agency.”
Commenting on his joining Sutar mentions, “We all say advertising is moving towards an integration between mainline and digital. I’ve always thought that the best way to create madness is to be a part of the method and that brings me to my switch from close to two decades in mainline to a future in digital.”
He further adds, “There’s no denying that mainline has its own charm and I feel grateful for having carried that understanding with me. For a while now, I’ve seen a similar charm in digital as well. The scope of being relevant through content, engaging through craft and clever with innovations, is exciting to say the least. I find Dentsu Webchutney to be the most cutting edge and innovative digital agency. I look forward to being able to contribute and learn as we move forward.”
Brands
Muthoot FinCorp names Arun Kumar COO & Harjit Singh Takkar chief distribution officer
Leadership hires to boost operations and widen pan-India reach
THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Muthoot FinCorp has strengthened its top deck with the appointment of Arun Kumar B as chief operating officer and Harjit Singh Takkar as chief distribution officer, sharpening its focus on scale, speed and service as it pushes into its next phase of growth.
The flagship financial services arm of the 138-year-old Muthoot Pappachan Group, popularly known as Muthoot Blue, is expanding both muscle and mindset. With more than 3,750 branches nationwide and its digital platform, the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app, the company is betting on tighter execution and wider reach to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive lending market.
Arun Kumar B steps in with nearly two decades of experience cutting across financial services, technology transformation and customer analytics. He previously worked with CreditAccess Grameen, where he led enterprise-wide technology and data strategy initiatives and played a pivotal role during a major merger in the microfinance space. His work spanned integrating operations and products while scaling lending and non-credit offerings such as insurance and pensions.
At Muthoot FinCorp, Arun will steer operational excellence and strategic growth initiatives, aligning teams and processes to deliver sharper efficiency across the business. A gold medallist from Anna University and a postgraduate from IIM Indore, he also holds certifications in design thinking, Blue Ocean Strategy and business analytics.
Harjit Singh Takkar takes on the newly created role of chief distribution officer, reporting directly to the chief executive officer. The position is designed to energise the company’s distribution engine and bring greater governance and agility across its branch network.
Takkar brings over 28 years of retail banking experience, having held senior leadership roles at IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank and ICICI Bank. Known for scaling branch networks and building high-performing teams, he combines distribution expertise with governance depth as a qualified company secretary with a master’s degree in finance and control.
In his new role, Takkar will oversee branch business and distribution channels, with a clear brief to expand reach, lift productivity and reinforce the company’s pan-India presence.
Commenting on the appointments, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. chief executive officer Shaji Varghese, said the company continues to invest in leadership as it scales. “Our purpose is to improve the financial well-being of the common man. As we grow, strengthening leadership across key functions is important to ensure consistency in execution and customer experience,” he said.
With complementary strengths in operations and distribution now in place, Muthoot FinCorp appears set to move from steady expansion to sharper acceleration, backed by people, process and technology working in concert.
