MAM
Advent Public Relations onboards Dr Divya Saksena as director of content strategy
Mumbai: Advent Public Relations Pvt Ltd, an established communication consulting firm of Delhi, has announced a significant addition to its leadership team, with the appointment of Dr Divya Saksena as the director of content strategy. In her new role, Dr Saksena will oversee brainstorming, research and competition mapping with a view to implementing innovative ideas and storylines, that synchronize with client company goals. She will spearhead the team in creating international-level content, aligned with global benchmarks as well as client objectives.
Dr Saksena brings with her over thirty years of expertise, both national and international, having worked in USA, Canada, and India. With a PhD from the USA, she has held fellowships and key positions at prestigious institutions such as George Washington University (GWU), Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), Delhi University and Shiv Nadar University, where she made significant contributions to the fields of research, business communication and professional writing. Her wide experience across modern and traditional platforms and technologies means that her strength lies in synergizing intellectual creativity with hi-tech digital platforms. With such a stimulating combination of non-formal approaches and established communication strategies, she aims to accomplish cutting-edge PR targets for our clients.
Brimming with enthusiasm, Dr Divya Saksena stated, “I’m excited at the prospect of working with the Advent team to bring together technology, research, and creativity. By applying ultra-modern, international and multicultural approaches, we aim to create memorable content across a variety of projects in our pursuit of excellence. We will focus on wide-spectrum brand-building for our clients while also reinforcing traditional strategies in our work.”
Sharing the same dynamism, Advent Public Relations Pvt Ltd director Kheman Kumar said, “We are thrilled to welcome Dr Divya Saksena onboard with us. Her expertise of keeping pace with key industry trends ensures that our content is always relevant and innovative, helping our clients to carve a niche within their industry. Her extensive international experience and proven track record of innovation in communication strategies and professional writing at all levels make her an invaluable asset to our organization. We are confident that, with her guidance and intellectual maturity, our creative endeavors will reach new heights”.
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.
