MAM
Cheil India appoints Sourav Ray as chief strategy officer
NEW DELHI: Cheil India has appointment Sourav Ray as chief strategy officer (CSO). He will advance the integrated planning and strategy for the company.
Ray is being promoted internally and will be succeeding Atika Malik with immediate effect.
He brings over 20 years of strategic planning and brand-building experience to his new role. He has a strong track record in stewarding brands in India, Hong Kong, and China across leading agencies like Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, Bates 141, and Havas Worldwide. He has worked on a diverse set of clients covering FMCG/CPG, mobile devices, finance, media, pharmaceuticals, lifestyle, travel, B2B technology, and the social sector.
Cheil India COO Sanjeev Jasani said, “We wanted to hand-pick someone who had the balance of a classic strategy background and the ability to formulate a strategy that’s relevant for today. Sourav is that person. He has a depth of experience which, together with his curiosity and understanding of the new nuances of today’s marketing landscape, will elevate our strategic offering. I look forward to some great work from him.”
“Cheil is a unique agency with a hugely diverse set of minds. I don’t need to point out the uncertain times that we all are in. This organisation can harness the power of diversity and create connected experiences that matter and provide positive value to our clients. I have been deeply interested in work that drives change; brand/business transformations, behavioural change, or even social change. In my new role, I look forward to helping clients integrate the idea of the brand with the digital reinvention of people and businesses to tell great stories,” added Ray.
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MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
