MAM
Kaizzen appoints Soumya Dev as chief strategy officer
Mumbai: PR agency Kaizzen has further strengthened its senior leadership team with the appointment of Soumya Dev as Chief Strategy Officer.
In this role, Dev will be working closely with Kaizzen founder and CEO Vineet Handa in driving the organisational strategy for the company, including new service offerings, footprint expansion, acquisitions and partnerships.
Dev brings with him close to two decades of experience in the full mix of communications, spanning digital marketing, content marketing, public relations and multimedia production. He is a seasoned communications professional, having worked at Fortune 500 corporates in international roles as well as at best-of-breed communications agencies in India. Most recently, Dev was leading the digital mandate for PepsiCo’s Asia, Middle-East and North Africa operations.
“Soumya is highly experienced and is credited for driving successful campaigns at the intersection of technology, data-science and compelling storytelling. Having him on board further strengthens our aspirations to transform Kaizzen into a knowledge-based and data-led communications consultancy,” said Vineet Handa. “We are investing significantly to add highly specialised expertise into our client offerings such as insights, integrated communications and advocacy, as well as toward expanding our domestic and international market footprint.”
“I am excited to join Kaizzen at a very exciting juncture of its growth journey. Kaizzen has a tremendous talent pool and a host of successful client relationships across sectors. It presents exciting possibilities to bring value to our clients and in driving the growth story of the company,” said Soumya Dev.
Brands
Metro Brands appoints Harshvardhan Chauhan as CMO & SMP
Retail veteran to steer brand strategy and accelerate growth
MUMBAI: Metro Brands has appointed Harshvardhan Chauhan as its chief marketing officer and senior management personnel, effective 23 February 2026.
The move brings nearly two decades of marketing muscle into the company’s leadership ranks. With over 18 years of experience across retail, fashion, lifestyle, grocery, home and e-commerce, Chauhan arrives with a well-rounded understanding of how brands capture attention and convert it into loyalty.
His professional journey includes stints at Bharat YEF, Trident Group, RPSG, DLF Shopping Malls, ShopClues, Godrej Group, Reckitt Benckiser and Accenture, where he worked across brand building, strategic growth and business leadership.
Chauhan holds a master’s degree in business administration with a specialisation in strategy and business management from Symbiosis, Pune. He has also completed the accelerated general management programme at IIM Ahmedabad, combining academic rigour with hands-on commercial experience.
In his new full-time role, he will report to chief executive officer Nissan Joseph and work closely with the leadership team to shape the next phase of brand expansion.
For Metro Brands, the appointment signals a sharpened focus on storytelling, scale and staying one step ahead in a competitive retail landscape.
