MAM
Initiative appoints Alok Sinha as chief strategy officer
MUMBAI: IPG Mediabrands has appointed Alok Sinha as chief strategy officer in line with the agency’s transformational vision merging legacy with new-age dynamism.
In his new role, Sinha will be driving Initiative’s strategic planning nationally and will be working collaboratively with all clients of the agency, including Amazon, Reckitt Benckiser, Bajaj Auto, Dish TV, Too Yumm, Anchor Electricals, and Carlsberg, to name a few.
Sinha moves from Ogilvy & Mather, where he headed strategy for the northern region as president – planning.
“Alok comes with multifaceted experience which is rare to find – research, consumer insight, tools, media strategy and account planning in a creative agency. His coming on board is a demonstration of our commitment to raising Initiative’s strategy, tools and product to a whole new level. I am delighted to have him on board,” says IPG Mediabrands CEO Shashi Sinha.
Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Physics and an MBA in Marketing, Sinha began his career as a trainee with Lintas (now Lowe) in Mumbai with its research wing, Pathfinders. He then moved to the Gallup Organisation, where he managed to transform its smallest revenue client into its biggest.
Seeking a more well-rounded exposure, Sinha then moved to the creative side and joined Ogilvy & Mather as a planner, where he worked on brands like IBM, Unilever and Vodafone. His stint in Ogilvy was followed by a long period in media agencies, including Carat and Mindshare, in multiple roles ranging from communication planning & business development to strategy and tools and process both in India and the Asia Pacific region.
Talking about his association with Initiative, he said, “I am back to Media where my heart belongs. Initiative is in a process of transformation and I am thrilled to be part of this change.”
Brands
Accor names Amit Malik VP people and culture for South Asia
Hospitality major taps HR veteran to drive talent and culture agenda
MUMBAI: Accor has appointed Amit Malik as vice president for people and culture in South Asia, strengthening its leadership bench as it scales operations across the region.
Malik will be part of the South Asia leadership team, overseeing the people, talent and culture agenda across India and neighbouring markets. His mandate includes building organisational capabilities, strengthening leadership pipelines and enhancing employee experience across Accor’s growing portfolio.
With more than two decades of experience, Malik brings a blend of human resources expertise and business leadership. His career spans multiple sectors and geographies, equipping him to support Accor’s evolving workforce needs in a dynamic hospitality market.
“We are pleased to welcome Amit to Accor,” said Accor chief executive officer, South Asia Ranju Alex. “His understanding of people strategy and strong business orientation will be instrumental in building a high-performance, purpose-led culture.”
Before joining Accor, Malik served as president for Japan, Asia Pacific and Australia at WadzPay. He also spent several years at Aviva Life Insurance India, where he held senior roles including chief people officer and later chief executive and managing director.
His earlier stints include leadership roles at Bank of America, Royal Bank of Scotland, American Express and GSK Consumer Healthcare, giving him a wide lens on organisational transformation and governance.
Accor’s latest leadership move reflects its focus on building a future-ready workforce as competition intensifies in the hospitality sector. With Malik at the helm of its people strategy, the company is betting on culture as a key driver of growth.
