Brands
Anita Kotwani joins Zoo Media as senior partner, growth
Former WPP and Dentsu leader to drive expansion in AI led era
MUMBAI: Zoo Media has strengthened its leadership bench with the appointment of Anita Kotwani as senior partner, growth, as the independent network sharpens its focus on scale and integration in an AI-driven landscape.
Kotwani steps into the role with a formidable track record, having spent 16 years at WPP Media and five years at Dentsu, where she served as chief client officer. Across both stints, she built a reputation for steering growth, unifying capabilities and delivering large-scale transformation across creative, media and customer experience.
Zoo Media co-founder Suveer Bajaj said, “Zoo Media was built on the belief that independents, when structured right, can outperform holding company networks on both agility and outcomes. Anita has operated at the highest levels of global systems and chosen to channel that mastery into an independent.”
He added, “Her entry as a partner is not symbolic, it is conviction. She is here to help define our future and accelerate the next phase of growth.”
Kotwani’s mandate spans the network’s portfolio, including FoxyMoron, The Rabbit Hole, Pollen, The Starter Labs and Phosphene, with a focus on weaving them into a cohesive, growth-led ecosystem. The brief is clear: blend creative, media, data and technology into a seamless offering that feels less like separate silos and more like a single, well-oiled machine.
Zoo Media co-founder Pratik Gupta said, “Anita has always believed that strategy without execution is hallucination. Across WPP and Dentsu, she proved she could deliver both at scale.”
He added, “What she brings now is a tested understanding of how clients measure value and how agencies must evolve in a technology-first world. As a partner, she will embed that intelligence into Zoo Media’s DNA.”
Zoo Media senior partner growth Anita Kotwani said, “My years at WPP and Dentsu gave me a blueprint of how scale, integration and client value are built. But the future of advertising will be defined by speed, intelligence and seamless orchestration across creative, media and technology.”
She added, “Zoo Media represents that future. I am here to architect growth with the founders and prove that agility paired with institutional mastery is the winning model for the AI era.”
Beyond India, Kotwani will also work closely with the founders to drive international expansion, leveraging Zoo Media’s presence in New York and Dubai to position it as a global independent contender.
As networks grow larger, Zoo Media is placing its bet on being smarter, faster and more integrated, with Kotwani now helping steer that ambition into its next phase.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
