Apostrophe Ventures names three managing partners and AI advisor

MUMBAI: Apostrophe Ventures is not messing about. The global communications and advisory platform founded by Ameer Ismail has unveiled Divya Narayan, Leila Bilimoria Surti and Saji Abraham as managing partners in one go, a leadership drop that signals just how seriously the firm is taking its bid to build a senior-led, multi-disciplinary player for a communications industry being reshaped by the week.

The trio will run Apostrophe Ventures’ integrated offering across corporate and brand communications, public relations, reputation and crisis management, brand and marketing strategy, creative and content solutions, and digital and social influence. Between them they bring more than seven decades of leadership and cross-functional experience, and they will work directly with Ismail to shape growth, deepen senior client relationships and build out capability across the firm’s service lines.

Alongside the partner announcement, Apostrophe Ventures has also named Hardev Dhindsa as chief technology and AI advisor. Dhindsa, a technology entrepreneur with a track record of building global businesses, will work with the leadership team to build AI-enabled platforms that sit at the core of the offering, while advising on emerging technology as it evolves. It is a pointed signal that this is a communications firm building itself around AI from day one, not bolting it on later.

The individual résumés do the real talking. Narayan spent more than two decades across corporate communications, reputation and brand storytelling, most recently on Amazon India’s senior communications team leading integrated communications, executive positioning and reputation management across key consumer businesses. Earlier stops include Lintas Live, formerly GolinOpinion, alongside Edelman and Ruder Finn.

Bilimoria Surti carries a similarly deep bench of experience across corporate communications, public relations and brand marketing, having run her own marketing and communications firm most recently. She spent over twelve years at Lintas Live advising brands across corporate and financial communications, lifestyle, hospitality, travel, FMCG and food and beverage, and two years leading external communications for Barclays’ global retail and commercial bank in India. Her career began at Edelman in New York.

Abraham brings the advertising and brand strategy edge, with more than three decades in the business. He was most recently chief marketing officer at Classic Legends, where he drove the revival of Jawa, Yezdi and BSA, and spent a distinguished stretch at Lowe Lintas advising leading FMCG, automotive and banking brands. He has also run his own consultancy, Fighting Fit Brands, for the past five years, and carries a trophy cabinet that includes Effies, WARC, AME and Cannes honours.

Ismail is candid about why this matters. Apostrophe Ventures, he says, was built to help organisations navigate an increasingly complex communications landscape, and the three managing partners share his vision and values while bringing the entrepreneurial energy and depth needed to deliver on it. It is a strong statement of intent from a founder betting that senior talent, not scale alone, wins in this market.

With its leadership architecture now in place, the firm’s next task is building differentiated capability and expanding its client portfolio, precisely the kind of unglamorous execution that turns a good leadership hire into a good business.