MAM
HiveMinds welcomes Pradeep Saluja as chief operating officer
Mumbai: HiveMinds, a digital marketing company and part of the Madison Group, is delighted to announce the appointment of Pradeep Saluja as chief operating officer. Pradeep is a seasoned professional with over two decades of experience leading business strategy, operations management, and consulting across multiple industries. As the COO, he will oversee the P&L and growth of the business and be responsible for the organisation’s overall operations.
Pradeep has held senior positions in several leading firms, from one of the founding members of the India business at Encore Capital Group to leading firms where he has delivered sustainable growth for clients worldwide. Prior to joining HiveMinds, he served as vice president at Sprinklr, where he successfully led customer success for key accounts globally. Before this, Pradeep was with Mu-Sigma, managing the P&L of a business unit with a portfolio of Fortune 500 companies. His career began at Caterpillar, where he led West and South East India’s dealer development and customer success teams. He was also part of the management consulting practice at KPMG. Pradeep graduated from the National Institute of Technology Allahabad and is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.
HiveMinds COO Pradeep Saluja shared, “HiveMinds has established itself as a leading player in the Digital Marketing space. The leadership’s unwavering focus on delivering value to clients and fostering an employee-centric culture echoed well with my values. I am excited to join HiveMinds and look forward to working closely with our highly energetic and capable teams to deliver sustainable growth and impact to our clients.”
HiveMinds CEO and founder Jyothirmayee JT commented, “We are delighted to welcome Pradeep to HiveMinds. His extensive experience and proven leadership, especially in digital transformation and operations, align perfectly with our vision for the future as we expand and evolve in the digital marketing landscape. His appointment marks a significant milestone in our journey, and I eagerly anticipate the innovative solutions and lasting partnerships that will undoubtedly flourish under his leadership.”
MAM
Publicis Groupe acquires sports marketing agency 160over90
Deal strengthens Publicis Sports with global scale and talent partnerships.
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has just scored a major goal in the sports marketing arena and this time, it’s not just about fans in the stands, but brands looking to win big. The French advertising giant has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 160over90, a leading global sports and culture-first agency that is part of WME Group. The move builds on Publicis Sports’ recent expansions, including the acquisitions of Adopt and Bespoke in 2025, a partnership with Magic Johnson Enterprises, and the launch of Influential Sports.
The combined Publicis Sports group will be led by Suzy Deering, CEO of Publicis Sports. Robbie Henchman, most recently President of 160over90, will stay with WME Group as Senior Partner and President of its brand representation business while overseeing the strategic partnership between WME Group and Publicis Groupe.
160over90 employs over 670 people across the US, UK, EMEA and APAC. It specialises in creating meaningful connections between brands, sports events, properties and culture. The sports media market is valued at $150 billion globally, while sports sponsorships have crossed $90 billion, yet many marketers still struggle with fragmented and outdated approaches.
With this acquisition, Publicis aims to offer brands a more unified solution through greater scale and reach across key markets, data-first optimisation powered by the Publicis Sports Intelligence platform, activation of the creator economy via Influential, and a new strategic talent and entertainment partnership with WME Group.
Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun described sport as one of the most high-value channels in the age of AI. “This acquisition is the latest demonstration of our ongoing commitment to investing in the channels and capabilities that deliver the highest value for our clients,” he said.
Publicis Connected Media CEO Dave Penski added that sport has become the most powerful intersection of culture, commerce and community.
WME Group president and managing partner Mark Shapiro noted that combining 160over90 with Publicis Sports will create an unmatched offering for brands seeking deeper connections with sports fans.
In a fragmented sports marketing landscape, Publicis has clearly decided that the best way to win is to bring the whole team together turning scattered plays into one powerful, end-to-end strategy that connects brands to fans in meaningful and measurable ways.
