MAM
Fulcro appoints Akshat Trivedi as executive creative director
MUMBAI: Fulcro, an integrated digital marketing and communication agency that works with brands to build effective and innovative brand campaigns leveraging the power of creative, technology and data, has appointed Akshat Trivedi as the executive creative director. He will lead the creative team at the venture.
Trivedi brings over a decade of experience in creative communication to the Fulcro team.
He started his creative career at Ogilvy, Mumbai. Where he worked on different brands including Star TV, Cadbury Perk, HUL, Mumbai Indians, Nutrela, and SBI life, to name a few. Akshat also scripted social awareness campaigns at Ogilvy like ‘TB Haarega, DeshJeetega’ and ‘KarodonAansoon Hain LekinKarodon Hum Bhi Hain’ for Star TV’s Pro Bono programme ‘Saath Hain Hum Uttarakhand’ during the unfortunate floods that shook the entire country.
He later functioned as an independent creative consultant before joining The Womb, where he scripted popular TV campaigns for Fogg. Some of these include ‘Kya ChalRaha Hai’; ‘Baaki sab uddjaayega, Fogg RehJaayega’, Fogg ‘Train’TVC. He also wrote the launch campaigns for youthful brands like Asus Zenfone 4 ‘JinkiDuniyaBadiUnki Selfie Badhi’ and Zeelrainwear’s ‘Fiyer’ film.
Trivedi is renowned for writing SaregamaCaravaan’s sensitive campaigns like ‘Aapkepehleypyaarkeliye, aapkimaakekiye’, ‘Iss Diwali Shor YaSangeet’, andJinheshaayadaapkabhikehnahipaaye,unhekahiye‘Thank You’ have been impactful in creating a pure voice for the brand. Carvaan’s Mother campaign not only won people’s hearts but also creative and effectiveness awards.
Apart from this, as a creative consultant to Coverfox, he scripted the campaign ‘Cover Karo, KaamAayega’ that also bagged the South Asia Pacific Gender sensitivity Award at LaadliAwards.
Speaking about his association with Fulcro, Trivedi said, “It is indeed heartening to lead the creative souls at Fulcro, I look forward to sharing my learnings while creating a few of my own, through the young tech brains at Fulcro. So together we can do some awesome work for a new set of brands and take the company to greater heights.”
On this appointment, Fulcro founder and managing director Sabyasachi Mitter said, “As we grow, it is also important to continue to offer our partners the very best output. We’ve long admired the incredible campaigns that Akshat delivers and at a time of increasing opportunity for our long form content, we are excited to welcome him to the team.”
Brands
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail reshuffles top deck; Nikhil Modha to take over as CFO
Phased transition sees Marco Agnolin head OWND!, Nikhil Modha lined up as CFO as company readies next growth leg
MUMBAI: Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail is redrawing its leadership map, lining up a new generation of executives across key roles as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The company has named Suraj Bahirwani as chief executive (designate) of Pantaloons, effective April 1, 2026, with a full transition to the top role slated for October 1, 2026. He will also be designated as senior managerial personnel.
A two-decade veteran of the Aditya Birla Group, Bahirwani joined as a group management trainee in 2002 and has since held a string of leadership roles across retail and manufacturing. His resume spans stints at Aditya Birla Retail, a tenure as chief operating officer of Pantaloons, and most recently, head of global sales at the group’s cellulosic fibres business, where he drove international expansion and strengthened value-added portfolios.
Academically, he holds a PhD from the University of Mumbai, a postgraduate management diploma from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, and is a chartered accountant. Over the years, he has picked up multiple chairman’s awards, including distinguished achiever, exceptional contributor and accomplished leader.
The transition at Pantaloons will be staged. Incumbent chief executive Sangeeta Tanwani will continue until September 30, 2026, steering the handover before moving into an advisory role to the managing director from October 1, 2026. She is set to retire on January 31, 2027, at which point she will step down as whole-time director and key managerial personnel.
Alongside, the company has brought in Marco Agnolin as chief executive of OWND! and senior managerial personnel, effective April 6, 2026. Agnolin arrives with over three decades of global experience, having held senior roles at Inditex, where he helped expand Zara in Italy, and later served as chief executive of Bershka and Diesel. His track record spans fast fashion, brand turnarounds and youth-focused retail.
On the finance side, Nikhil Modha has been appointed chief financial officer (designate) and senior managerial personnel from April 1, 2026. He will assume full charge as chief financial officer and key managerial personnel from January 1, 2027.
Current chief financial officer Jagdish Bajaj will oversee a phased transition until December 31, 2026, before retiring and stepping down from his roles.
The reshuffle signals a calibrated succession plan rather than a sudden overhaul, with the company staggering exits and appointments to ensure continuity even as it refreshes leadership across verticals.
As Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail juggles legacy brands and new-age formats, the message is clear: steady hands for the present, sharper ones for the future—and no pause in the push for scale.
