MAM
Cheil Worldwide SW Asia powers up digital quotient
MUMBAI: Cheil Worldwide SW Asia announced the appointment of Avinash Joshi as media director, where he will be responsible for the agency’s social media practice.
Joshi is a digital marketing expert with over 15 years of experience in leveraging social insights, trends in emerging technology and human interaction to understand, explain, predict and influence consumer behaviour in digital, social and emerging channels.
Cheil Worldwide SW Asia COO Hari Krishnan said, “Avinash is an incredibly passionate yet methodical advocate of social media. His multi-faceted experience across project management, creative, technology and media will be immensely valuable for our clients at Cheil India.”
“While most of the digital verticals are headed by seasoned skill leaders at Cheil India, social media leadership had remained a gap area for us. With Avinash coming onboard, am sure, we will not just offer best in class social solutions but strengthen our overall digital offering to clients”, added Cheil Worldwide SW Asia senior VP & digital head Rajesh Bhatia.
Joshi joins from SapientNitro were he was serving as digital account director and social media lead-India, growing the practice through relationships in North America, Europe and APAC.
Over the years he has managed brands including Coca Cola – Burn, Sprite and Thums Up, Citibank India, Citibank US, Unilever – Lifebuoy & Lipton, Pernod Ricard – Chivas Regal & Blenders Pride, Yum – Taco Bell India, Fiat Chrysler – Fiat and Jeep India, Abbott, MetLife, Carlton and United Breweries, Lava International – Xolo, United Nations, UNICEF, United Nations Statistics Division, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Development Coordination Office/Development Group and WHO, Red Cross (Thailand), National Statistical Office, Government of India, State Planning Commission, Government of Madhya Pradesh (India), HIV AIDs Data Hub, Asia Pacific among others.
Prior to SapientNitro, Joshi has worked with GutsGo, Avalon Information Systems, UNICEF DevInfo Support Group, Wisitech (formerly, Orient InfoSolutions) and Sunstar Communication Systems Ltd.
Brands
Apple CEO Tim Cook to step down after 15 years, John Ternus to take over
Leadership shake-up sees long-time hardware chief step up from September
CUPERTINO: Apple has confirmed that chief executive officer Tim Cook will step down from his role and transition to executive chairman, with senior vice president of hardware engineering John Ternus set to take over as CEO from September 1, 2026.
The transition, approved unanimously by the board, marks a carefully planned leadership shift at one of the world’s most valuable companies. Cook will remain CEO through the summer, working closely with Ternus to ensure a smooth handover before moving into his new role, where he will continue to support Apple and engage with policymakers globally.
In a memo to employees, Apple CEO Tim Cook reflected on his 15-year tenure, recalling the moment Steve Jobs asked him to step into the role. “It was an emotional and challenging moment for all of us at Apple,” he wrote, adding that the company’s core values, from simplicity and innovation to a commitment to improving lives, remain unchanged.
Explaining his decision, Cook said the company’s strong roadmap and future outlook made this the right time for a transition. “I have never been more optimistic about Apple’s future,” he noted, while announcing Ternus as his successor. He described Ternus as “a visionary in his own right” with “remarkable integrity” and the right leader to guide Apple into its next phase.
Cook said, “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honour.”
Ternus, in his own note to employees, struck a steady, execution-focused tone. Ternus said, “It has been such a privilege to lead the hardware engineering team… I still plan to be very hands-on,” signalling continuity rather than a strategic reset.
As part of the leadership reshuffle, Ternus will step away from leading hardware engineering, with Tom Marieb taking over the role. Marieb will report to Johny Srouji, who assumes an expanded position as chief hardware officer, aligning hardware development more closely with Apple’s silicon and technology teams.
Cook also used his memo to thank employees, calling them “the most remarkable people in the world” and crediting them for building Apple into what it is today. A town hall has been scheduled at the Steve Jobs Theater to discuss the transition further.
The leadership change also sees Arthur Levinson move to the role of lead independent director, while Ternus joins Apple’s board.
Cook’s tenure has been defined by massive growth and expansion, with Apple’s market value rising from around $350 billion in 2011 to $4 trillion, alongside the launch of new product categories and a booming services business. Ternus, a 25-year Apple veteran, has played a central role in shaping the company’s hardware roadmap, from iPhone and Mac to newer innovations in materials and sustainability.
The transition signals a generational shift, but not a dramatic change in direction. If anything, both memos point to continuity, discipline and a belief that Apple’s next chapter will be built on the same values that shaped its last.
