MAM
Publicis appoints Céline Fronval as general counsel
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has announced the appointment of Céline Fronval to the role of Groupe General Counsel. She took on her new role as of 1 May, 2017, and reports directly to Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner, member of the directoire (Management Board) and secretary-general of Publicis Groupe.
Céline, previously the deputy general counsel of Publicis Groupe, will succeed Joe LaSala, who is retiring from Publicis Groupe after two years. Joe was the general counsel of Sapient from February 2011 to March 2015 and was promoted to Groupe General Counsel at Publicis Groupe in Paris after the acquisition of Sapient in April 2015.
Céline Fronval was the head of legal for France from September 2012 to September 2014, and promoted to Deputy General Counsel in October 2014. Prior to this, she worked in various law firms including Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York and in-house legal positions (Chief Legal Officer at BetClic Everest Group). Céline holds a LL.M degree from Columbia University and a Master degree (DEA) in International law from University Panthéon-Assas (Paris II).
Heilbronner said, “I’d like to thank Joe LaSala for these past few years he has served Publicis Groupe, during which he has truly proven his professionalism and expertise. I’d also like to wish Céline much success in her new role, which I am happy to see her take on after five successful years with the Groupe. Her experience and skills will be great assets with which she will carry out her missions.”
Brands
Ekart expands IKEA partnership with EV deliveries in Chennai
3PL to handle 600 plus products with 48 hour delivery via EV fleet.
MUMBAI: Flatpacks are going electric and your sofa might now arrive with a smaller carbon footprint. Ekart has expanded its partnership with IKEA to power last-mile deliveries in Chennai, doubling down on speed, scale and sustainability in one of India’s key urban markets. Under the collaboration, Ekart will manage end-to-end large-format deliveries for IKEA across the city using a 100 per cent dedicated electric vehicle fleet. The move makes Chennai the second major market after NCR-Delhi where Ekart handles IKEA’s last-mile logistics, signalling a broader rollout of EV-led supply chains.
The mandate is no small load. Ekart will oversee deliveries for over 600 products from IKEA’s catalogue, ranging from furniture to home décor—categories that demand specialised handling and precision logistics.
Backed by its technology-driven fulfilment network, Ekart is targeting deliveries within a 48-hour window, offering real-time tracking and end-to-end visibility from warehouse to doorstep. The focus is clear: faster turnarounds without compromising on control or customer experience.
The EV-first model also aligns with both companies’ sustainability goals, as urban logistics increasingly shifts towards zero-emission solutions. For IKEA, which continues to expand its omnichannel presence in India, reliable and eco-conscious last-mile delivery is becoming central to scale.
For Ekart, the partnership reinforces its positioning as an enterprise-grade logistics player in large-format commerce. The company already supports over 1,800 retail, D2C and enterprise brands, spanning last-mile delivery, part-truckload services and warehousing.
As India’s logistics ecosystem evolves, this collaboration highlights a growing trend: delivery is no longer just about distance, it’s about efficiency, experience and increasingly, emissions.
