MAM
Dr Mahendra Bhadouria named as OMA Living CEO
Mumbai: Homegrown home furnishing brand OMA Living has named Dr Mahendra Singh Bhadouria as the chief executive officer. Bhadouria will be responsible for the entire GTM, sales, delivery, operations, and profitability of the company.
A seasoned industry veteran with nearly three decades of experience, Bhadouria is known for driving exponential business growth through transformations and strategic GTM developments, having successfully led various start-ups and several companies,
“OMA deserves a leader like Dr Bhadouria,” said OMA Living chairperson of the board Charu Munjal. “His extensive grounding in retail operations and business development skills will strengthen OMA’s channel partnerships, develop our strategic alliances and e-commerce arm, and expand our domestic and international sales presence. We believe his strong leadership experience will help OMA focus during our aggressive 4X growth plan over the next five years.”
In his earlier role, Bhadouria was associated with Biba Apparels as senior vice president and head of sales and operations. He was the driving force behind its international expansion, including the introduction of the hotline picture tube throughout the Asia Pacific. Earlier, he was with premium luxury retail player DLF Brands as senior vice president and also held senior executive roles at Essar Group, Planet M Retail Ltd, The Mobilestore, Hotline Group, LG Hotline CPT, and Maral Overseas.
Bhadouria has a doctorate in Retail Service Quality as well as an MBA from Jiwaji University, Gwalior. He graduated from the HAAS School of Management at the University of California, Berkeley, and has also completed the executive programme in business finance from IIM Ahmedabad, and the executive programme in business analytics from IIM Calcutta.
“I am very excited to join OMA Living. I believe OMA has a great business model and a talented management team that uniquely positions it to capitalise on the ever-evolving luxury retail. And I will endeavour to propel OMA closer to its lofty goals,” said Dr Bhadouria on his new role.
MAM
Kate Rouch steps down as OpenAI Chief Marketing Officer
Marketing leader prioritises health after late-stage breast cancer diagnosis.
MUMBAI: When the toughest battle moves from the boardroom to the personal front, even the sharpest minds know it’s time to step back and focus on winning the most important fight of all. Kate Rouch, chief marketing officer at OpenAI, has announced she is stepping down from her role to focus on recovery following a diagnosis of late-stage breast cancer.
In a heartfelt LinkedIn post, Rouch revealed she was diagnosed around a year and a half ago, shortly after taking on the CMO position. Despite undergoing intensive treatment, she continued to lead the company’s marketing function through what she described as one of the most challenging periods of her career.
She explained that while she remained deeply committed to her role and team, she had reached a point where prioritising her health and recovery had become essential. Rouch called the decision difficult, noting it required acknowledging personal limits and shifting priorities. She reflected that the experience had reshaped her understanding of courage not always about pushing harder, but sometimes about stepping back to focus on long-term wellbeing, family and sustainability.
Rouch expressed gratitude to her team and colleagues for their support. She mentioned that Gary will step in to help lead the function and recruit a successor. She plans to support the transition and remains open to returning in a different capacity in the future, depending on her health.
Prior to joining OpenAI, Rouch served as the first chief marketing officer at Coinbase and spent over a decade at Meta, where she was vice president and global head of brand and product marketing.
She also thanked well-wishers for their messages and shared that stories from fellow survivors had a meaningful impact during her treatment journey.
In the high-stakes world of tech marketing, Kate Rouch has always been known for her strategic brilliance. Now, she is showing a different kind of strength, one that reminds us that even the most driven leaders sometimes need to pause, heal, and come back stronger when the time is right. Wishing her a full and steady recovery.
