MAM
Kantar appoints Guillaume Bacuvier to lead Worldpanel
Mumbai: Data-driven analytics and brand consulting company Kantar on Tuesday announced the appointment of Guillaume Bacuvier as global chief executive officer (CEO) of its consumer panel division Worldpanel. Bacuvier succeeds Josep Montserrat, who has been elevated to the role of non-executive chairman of the Worldpanel business. Both appointments are effective from 13 September.
Most recently, Bacuvier was group CEO of dunnhumby Ltd, a global leader in customer data science for the retail and CPG/FMCG industry. He led a commercial and technological transformation of the business, involving material investment in the company’s product portfolio, and both acquisitions and divestments to strengthen the company’s competitive positioning. Over his four-year tenure, dunnhumby improved its operating performance and expanded its customer base across the globe whilst improving employee engagement and customer satisfaction.
Prior to dunhumby, Bacuvier was at Google for more than a decade, holding a number of senior roles, culminating in vice-president, advertising solutions, EMEA where he was responsible for all aspects of the core online advertising business in the region, including commercial P&L for Google’s Doubleclick and Analytics business. He started his career as a strategy consultant in BoozAllen Hamilton’s TMT practice before moving to Orange Group where he was responsible for messaging services for all Orange OpCos. He holds an MBA from INSEAD and a graduate degree in industrial economics from Université Paris-IX Dauphine.
“The next phase of growth for our Worldpanel business will be heavily influenced by technology and advanced data analytics, and Guillaume’s expertise and experience will prove invaluable,” said deputy CEO and CFO Ian Griffiths.
Montserrat joined Worldpanel in 1994 and was appointed CEO of the Worldpanel business in 2007. Over 14 years, he has built a world-renowned business that serves as industry currency standard data in almost 50 countries. He built the Worldpanel business on the foundations of strong employee culture.
“In Josep, we have a leader who understands deeply that great businesses are built by teams with a passion for what they do. He excels at channeling that passion into great outcomes for his clients,” said Griffiths. “The data and insights generated by Josep and his team, quite literally helped supermarkets keep their shelves stocked during the pandemic period. We thank Josep for his incredible contribution to Kantar so far and look forward to his continued leadership in his new role.“
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
