MAM
Kritika Saxena elevated to head of marketing at TCS India
MUMBAI: Five years ago, Kritika Saxena swapped the television studio for the corporate boardroom. Today, she’s got the promotion that proves it was the right call.
Saxena has been elevated to head of marketing for India at Tata Consultancy Services, stepping up from her role leading corporate communications and public relations at the IT giant. It’s the kind of career move that validates a gamble many wouldn’t dare take.
“I have often been asked if it was worth it,” Saxena shared on LinkedIn, reflecting on her 2020 switch from journalism to corporate life. “After 5 years, I have so many moments, even daily, that I can find myself saying a whole hearted yes to that question.”
In her new role, Saxena will oversee all marketing efforts across India, working to amplify TCS’s brand presence throughout the region. She’ll also helm the company’s flagship experience centre in Mumbai, a showcase space that tells the TCS story to stakeholders and visitors from around the world. Additionally, she’ll head marketing for the Public Services India and Rest of World business vertical.
The promotion comes after a successful five-year stint building TCS’s communications profile. But Saxena’s path to this moment began much earlier, in the fast-paced world of broadcast journalism.
She spent over 12 years at CNBC-TV18, rising through the ranks from senior correspondent in 2008 to chief of bureau for Mumbai and South India by 2020. During that tenure, she broke stories, anchored interviews, analysed markets, and contributed to numerous flagship shows. Before that, she cut her teeth at BBC Worldwide, The Times of India, and various other media outlets.
The transition from newsroom to corporate suite isn’t always smooth, but Saxena found a common thread. “One lesson stands out for me that is common for marketing, communications and journalism: good storytelling is at the heart of everything,” she noted.
That philosophy clearly resonated. Last year, she played a key role in launching TCS’s ‘Accelerating India’ campaign, an initiative close to her heart that she’s thrilled to continue steering in her expanded role.
Saxena was quick to credit TCS’s culture of internal growth. “I’m forever amazed at how TCS encourages growth for everyone and gives the space for career elevation and expansion in its own vast boundaries,” she said, thanking colleagues Abhinav Kumar and Girish Ramachandran for the opportunity.
It’s a reminder that career pivots, however daunting, can lead somewhere special. For Saxena, the journalist who once reported on corporate India now shapes how one of its biggest names tells its own story. Not a bad plot twist at all.
Her journey proves what many suspect but few dare test: sometimes the best stories aren’t the ones you cover, but the ones you live.
MAM
Bob Iger joins Thrive Capital as adviser after Disney exit
Former Disney CEO returns to VC firm, stays on as Disney adviser till 2026.
MUMBAI: From castles to capital, Bob Iger isn’t done building just changing the blueprint. Bob Iger has taken on an advisory role at Thrive Capital, marking a return to the New York-based venture firm he briefly joined in 2022. Founded in 2009 by Josh Kushner, Thrive Capital has been positioning itself at the intersection of technology and long-term value creation, an area where Iger’s experience in scaling global entertainment businesses is expected to add weight. Kushner, 40, welcomed Iger back, highlighting his ability to blend technology with human-centric storytelling, particularly in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
Iger is no stranger to Thrive. He had earlier joined the firm as a venture partner in September 2022, after stepping down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company and concluding his tenure as executive chairman in 2021. That stint, however, was short-lived. In November 2022, Disney’s board brought him back to steady the ship, replacing Bob Chapek following a turbulent period for the company.
Now, with his latest exit from Disney’s top job last month, Iger appears to be revisiting the venture world, this time with a clearer runway. Still, the Disney chapter isn’t entirely closed. Under his agreement with the company, he will remain until the end of 2026 as a senior adviser to new CEO Josh D’Amaro and will continue to serve on the board for his current term.
The move comes as venture firms increasingly seek operators with deep industry experience to navigate what Kushner described as “the most consequential technology shift” of the era, driven by AI. For Iger, whose career has hinged on blending creativity with scale, the transition from Hollywood to high-growth investing seems less like a pivot and more like a plot twist.
