MAM
Data & analytics company Ugam completes 20 successful years
NEW DELHI: Ugam, a Merkle data and analytics company, is celebrating the completion of 20 successful years this month. Over two decades, Ugam has helped global corporations make superior data-driven business decisions. Today, Ugam has long-tenured relationships with 85+ Fortune 500 companies, has over 2,100 employees worldwide and presence in more than 10 locations across North America, EMEA and APAC.
This month also marks a year since Ugam became part of the $10 billion Dentsu group. In July 2019, Ugam joined Merkle, a leading data-driven global performance marketing company and part of Dentsu. Ugam represents the largest acquisition in Merkle’s history.
Ugam co-founder and CEO Sunil Mirani said, “It has been an incredible 20-year journey and we are proud to have made a mark as a next-gen analytics company. I am grateful to my Ugam family who play a key role in the company’s growth. Over 20 years, we have stayed true to our values and, we continue to nurture and strengthen our culture which we cherish deeply. I am also grateful to our clients, partners and other stakeholders who have been a part of our journey. We are filled with renewed vigour as we move onward, as part of the Merkle and Dentsu family.”
In the last 20 years, Ugam has won many accolades and received recognition from independent industry bodies. In 2020, Ugam was featured as a Great Place to Work for Data Scientists by Analytics India Magazine. Ugam enjoys a very high employee boomerang rate. Hundreds of its employees have been with the company for over a decade, and for whom their stint with Ugam has been the longest in their career.
Celebrations kickstarted at Ugam this week with the theme ‘20 years and onward’. The occasion virtually brings together Ugam employees from around the world for various engagement initiatives related to the milestone. The celebrations will culminate with a company-wide townhall which will be attended by senior leaders from Ugam, Merkle and Dentsu.
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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.
