MAM
Leo Burnett appoints Rakesh Hinduja as EVP
MUMBAI: Leo Burnett India has appointed Rakesh Hinduja as executive vice president.
He will be based at the agency’s Mumbai head office and in his new role he will have overall responsibility for one of the biggest units in the Mumbai office.
Speaking on the appointment, Leo Burnett India CEO Suarabh Varma said, “Rakesh is a result-oriented leader. Our endeavour is to create sustainable growth for our clients and Rakesh’s appointment is aligned with that objective. His experience spans from local to regional clients, from conventional communication to integrated solutions and from brands to business management, thereby making him a vital addition to Leo Burnett and to our clients.”
Hinduja’s experience spans over 14 passionate years in the business of telling stories that cuts across categories like consumer products, retail, financial services, consumer durables, IT and service sector, which has given him the multi-dimensional knowledge and perspective required to grow brands and businesses.
Hinduja said, “I’m truly excited to join Leo Burnett and be back to play on home pitch, India. Leo Burnett’s vision and integrated approach to business solutions absolutely resonates with the kind of agency and passion I want to be part of. Current evolution in India presents enormous opportunity across mediums and audiences, which I would like to leverage using my experience of working across categories and channels. I look forward to working with the talented team at Leo Burnett and its prestigious portfolio of brands to do some great work for our clients.”
He joins Leo Burnett from Publicis Singapore, where in his role as regional business director – ASIA, he partnered clients like P&G, L’Oreal and Citibank to name a few. He was instrumental in strengthening their regional footprint in markets like Australia, India, ASEAN, Japan and Korea. Prior to this, he has worked at Publicis Ambience, McCann Worldgroup, Ezeego1.com (digital interface for Cox & Kings) amongst others and partnered various clients – Marico, P&G, JK Helen Curtis, Unilever, Western Union, Balsara, UPS, Paypal, Tata, Emami, Godrej , Videocon and more.
Brands
Emami names Dhruv Aggarwal as chief growth officer
Former Bain partner steps in as FMCG firm sharpens growth playbook
MUMBAI: Emami Limited has appointed Dhruv Aggarwal as its chief growth officer, effective 25 March 2026, following the resignation of Giriraj Bagri.
Aggarwal joins the FMCG major from Bain & Company, where he most recently served as partner. With over two decades of experience across consulting and strategy, he brings a global perspective shaped by work across India, the US, the UK and Germany.
During his tenure at Bain, Aggarwal advised consumer, retail and media companies on large-scale transformations, business turnarounds and growth strategies. He was also closely involved with India’s startup ecosystem, guiding early-stage ventures on scaling and digital expansion, while supporting private equity and venture capital firms on investment decisions.
His earlier stints include a brief role at Barclays Capital and operational experience at Jindal Power, giving him a mix of financial and industry exposure.
Academically, Aggarwal holds an MBA from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and has also been associated with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as a PhD candidate and teaching assistant.
The appointment comes at a time when Emami Limited is looking to sharpen its growth strategy in a competitive consumer market. With a seasoned strategist now at the helm of growth, the company appears set to double down on transformation and expansion in the months ahead.
