MAM
Lodestar UM wins Mattel’s media mandate
MUMBAI: Following a competitive pitch, IPG Mediabrands network agency Lodestar UM has won the media mandate of Mattel; the iconic toy maker that has created several children’s brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends etc.
The account will be handled out of the agency’s Mumbai office.
“We are delighted to have the Mattel business in our portfolio, which has the distinction of being the largest toymaker in the world. Almost every kid has grown up with these iconic brands and can share a Mattel moment. We are looking forward to bringing cutting-edge innovation and performance to Mattel’s media mandate, which has so many successful and diverse franchises across its product portfolio”, said Nandini Dias, CEO, Lodestar UM.
Lokesh Kataria, Marketing Head Mattel Toys, India, said, “We are excited to align our media mandate with Lodestar UM. The agency has the best strategic data and tech driven media solutions. We wanted a media agency partner who would help us reach new consumers more effectively. Lodestar UM has the expertise to help us deliver this vision and we are looking forward to this partnership.”
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
