MAM
Happy mcgarrybowen appoints Choudhry as COO – advt, makes key changes
MUMBAI: Happy mcgarrybowen, the creative agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has announced key structural changes to further strategise its business approach and strengthen its top-line leadership. As part of this change, PM Praveen Das, Co-founder and MD, Happy mcgarrybowen, will spearhead growth of the specialised units for Design, B2B and Social Behaviour Change Projects (SBCP).
Das said, “The dream here is to use ‘design thinking’ to contribute something unique to design from India and create value for our clients. We also want to help B2B clients with solutions that fall between a digital and communication agency by leveraging technology and creating unique experiences with UI and UX, VR, AR, AI, Machine Learning, IOT (internet of things), etc. In SBCP too, we have been trying to use technology to solve communication challenges even as we patiently engage with continuous research and feedback to create and recreate communication for change. Yes, the process is slow but fulfilling and effective if done well. To accomplish this, we have put together a talented, top-of-line team of experts to deliver results.”
Meanwhile, Happy mcgarrybowen has roped in Samarjit Choudhry as chief operating officer (COO), Advertising. Armed with more than 20 years of experience, Samarjit’s mandate here will be to run and grow the agency’s advertising business across the country. Prior to this, Samarjit was with Ogilvy Bangalore where he held the position of chief growth office. He was also instrumental in setting up Orchard in Bangalore and Black Pencil for the Leo Burnett Group. In his new role, he will report to Kartik Iyer, co-founder and CEO – Happy mcgarrybowen.
Choudhry said, “Most agencies give lip service to integrated thinking. At Happy, it’s actually a way of life. This brings a unique perspective to the table and a very different understanding of the shopper of today. Also Kartik and Praveen are not just great people to work with, they are truly Happy people also. I quite look forward to our journey ahead of taking Happy mcgarrybowen to the Delhi and Mumbai markets.”
Iyer will continue to oversee the advertising discipline for Happy mcgarrybowen. On the developments, Iyer said, “We have always wanted Happy mcgarrybowen to be a hybrid agency with multiple capabilities. Between Praveen and me, we are very clear what we want for Happy mcgarrybowen in the future. So it just makes absolute sense to split forces and give the attention each discipline needs.”
“Samarjit comes with a rich experience of having built business units. His personality, in a lot of ways, echoes the values we believe in at Happy. We have entrusted him with the responsibility to running and growing the advertising business across the country. So we can concentrate on attracting the best talent and improving the creative product,” he added.
MAM
Beacon Group appoints Dr Rajesh Patel as Group CEO
36-year healthcare veteran to lead Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek, Biogeny.
MUMBAI: A new chief, a fresh diagnosis and a sharper prescription for growth. Beacon Group has appointed Dr Rajesh Patel as its Group Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1, 2026, signalling a decisive push to scale its presence in the diagnostics and IVD space. Patel steps into the role with 36 years of experience across the healthcare and diagnostics industry, bringing a career shaped by leadership roles spanning sales, marketing, business development and operational strategy. His mandate is both expansive and precise: to steer the group’s overall strategic direction while tightening coordination across its three core entities Beacon Diagnostics, Vector Biotek and Biogeny Diagnostics.
In practical terms, that means driving cross-company synergies, accelerating market expansion and strengthening organisational capability areas increasingly critical as diagnostic players compete for scale in a fragmented yet rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem. The group is positioning itself to capture unmet demand across chain laboratories, key accounts and standalone labs, segments that remain underserved despite growing diagnostic needs.
The appointment comes at a time when the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) sector in India is entering a more competitive and innovation-led phase, with companies focusing not just on product pipelines but also on service delivery, integration and customer-centric models. Beacon’s leadership appears to be betting that Patel’s execution-focused approach can help translate ambition into operational momentum.
Welcoming the appointment, Chairman Dr D K Joshi described Patel’s induction as a strategic move aligned with the group’s long-term vision, emphasising the role of leadership depth in navigating the next phase of growth.
For Beacon Group, the message is clear, in a sector where precision matters, leadership is the new differentiator—and this appointment is intended to set the tone for what comes next.
