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Manashi Guha appointed L’Oréal consumer products division managing director – UK & Ireland
Mumbai: L’Oréal announces a strategic leadership appointment in the consumer products division (CPD), with Manashi Guha nominated to a new assignment as managing director, CPD for L’Oréal UK & Ireland from 1 October. CPD holds a unique brand portfolio including its four iconic global brands of L’Oréal Paris, Maybelline New York, Garnier and NYX Professional Make Up.
Guha was most recently a founding member of the South Asia Pacific Middle East North Africa (SAPMENA) Zone Management Committee, a new Zone formed in 2021 as a strategic growth region for L’Oréal Groupe. The region, home to 40 per cent of the world’s population, is one of the fastest-growing for L’Oréal worldwide and a global talent hub. Guha established CPD’s strategic mission for the new zone, tapping into a huge market potential where 50 per cent of the world’s new consumers will come from.
Her growth strategy starts with people and she is known for trailblazing new growth paths and transforming with agility. During her tenure, SAPMENA has not only strengthened its iconic global brands, but also transformed L’Oréal’s go-to market in the region and set people foundations for exceptional results across all three years.
Guha’s new appointment reflects rising global leadership talent emerging from the SAPMENA region. With her leadership experience in emerging and fast-evolving markets, particularly the dynamic markets of India and Indonesia, Guha will bring to her new assignment in UK & Ireland an entrepreneurial mindset, consumer centricity, agility, passion for innovation and excellence.
Commenting on the appointment, Guha said, “It’s been an honor to lead an incredible team of passionate entrepreneurs in the set-up of SAPMENA. South Asia Pacific with the Middle East is leading the beauty revolution and consumer sophistication with diverse beauty ideals and a dynamic digital culture of on-demand, always-connected and hyper social; we can bring a lot to the rest of the world. I hope to bring that learning into my new role. But more importantly, as an Asian Indian wo(mentor), I believe the world is our oyster – we create our reality by unapologetically being who we are. L’Oréal Groupe is an incredible place to create your own reality where I have been recognized and encouraged for bringing my true self to the table.”
MAM
Kate Rouch steps down as OpenAI Chief Marketing Officer
Marketing leader prioritises health after late-stage breast cancer diagnosis.
MUMBAI: When the toughest battle moves from the boardroom to the personal front, even the sharpest minds know it’s time to step back and focus on winning the most important fight of all. Kate Rouch, chief marketing officer at OpenAI, has announced she is stepping down from her role to focus on recovery following a diagnosis of late-stage breast cancer.
In a heartfelt LinkedIn post, Rouch revealed she was diagnosed around a year and a half ago, shortly after taking on the CMO position. Despite undergoing intensive treatment, she continued to lead the company’s marketing function through what she described as one of the most challenging periods of her career.
She explained that while she remained deeply committed to her role and team, she had reached a point where prioritising her health and recovery had become essential. Rouch called the decision difficult, noting it required acknowledging personal limits and shifting priorities. She reflected that the experience had reshaped her understanding of courage not always about pushing harder, but sometimes about stepping back to focus on long-term wellbeing, family and sustainability.
Rouch expressed gratitude to her team and colleagues for their support. She mentioned that Gary will step in to help lead the function and recruit a successor. She plans to support the transition and remains open to returning in a different capacity in the future, depending on her health.
Prior to joining OpenAI, Rouch served as the first chief marketing officer at Coinbase and spent over a decade at Meta, where she was vice president and global head of brand and product marketing.
She also thanked well-wishers for their messages and shared that stories from fellow survivors had a meaningful impact during her treatment journey.
In the high-stakes world of tech marketing, Kate Rouch has always been known for her strategic brilliance. Now, she is showing a different kind of strength, one that reminds us that even the most driven leaders sometimes need to pause, heal, and come back stronger when the time is right. Wishing her a full and steady recovery.
