MAM
Milind Naik joins Pepper Media as Tech director
MUMBAI: Milind Naik, the former Star and Widen Cricinfo CTO, has been roped in by Pepper Media as technology director.
Pepper Media, a multi-channel network (MCN) on YouTube, floated by former founder and CEO of iStream.com, Radhakrishnan Ramachandran. iStream.com was a premium video-on-demand service launched in 2011 with backing from SAIF Partners.
“If you are looking at building a sustainable business model in the MCN space, technology will be one of the key accelerators. We are looking at marrying brands with content concepts and we need to see brand managers looking at online videos as a cost effective and powerful alternative to TV. Technology will play that key role in simplifying the model for brand managers, by helping them analyse the impact of their video campaigns on platforms like YouTube,” said Ramachandran
Naik has over 22 years of experience. This includes an entrepreneurial stint; when he launched Pappilon, one of the earliest mobile application development companies. He then launched an analytics firm specialising in buying patterns and consumer analytics for brands for the international markets.
“With videos being watched more on multi devices, it is imperative for brands to maximise on the same, the likes, dislikes, what is trending is yet to be captured in a 360 degree and that is the aim here at Pepper Media. I am excited to be part of a team that has been pioneers in the online video space. Metrics for consumer analytics on video is the next big thing. Technology analytics are faster and accurate as people are moving towards a more expressive form of personal views. For technology to make a difference it is the collective intelligence of the team which matters the most and that is what I see here at Pepper Media,” said Naik.
MAM
WPP appoints Estée Lauder’s Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as chief transformation officer
Former Estée Lauder executive to lead operations, technology and culture overhaul under WPP’s three-year growth plan
LONDON: WPP has appointed Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as chief transformation officer in a newly created role tasked with delivering the group’s Elevate28 strategy.
Choueiri joins from The Estée Lauder Companies, where she led enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, including the “One ELC” operating model and major upgrades to enterprise marketing, data and analytics capabilities. She also led the redesign of enterprise technology teams and served on the company’s AI taskforce, driving AI strategy, adoption and value realisation across the business.
At WPP, she will be responsible for designing, implementing and embedding the operating model behind Elevate28, the company’s three-year growth plan unveiled in February 2026. She will lead efforts to improve innovation, efficiency and integration across WPP’s client offerings, with a focus on delivering agile, outcome-driven solutions and measurable growth.
Choueiri will oversee organisational transformation across the group, working closely with product and enterprise technology teams to deploy AI, data and technology to build new capabilities and improve operational performance. She will also work with the people function to embed cultural change, strengthen an agile performance mindset and support talent development across the organisation.
Before joining Estée Lauder, she held senior roles across consulting and digital agencies, including at Accenture, Masaï (a Bain & Company spin-off), and Kearney, with experience spanning strategy, data and digital marketing transformation.
Cindy Rose, chief executive officer of WPP, said Choueiri brings a strong track record of leading large-scale transformation across operations, technology and culture, adding that her appointment will help accelerate the group’s next phase of growth under Elevate28.
Choueiri said WPP’s strategy represents an ambitious opportunity to reshape how the company operates and delivers for clients, adding that she looks forward to building integrated solutions and fostering a culture of innovation and change.
She will be based in New York and will join WPP’s executive committee.
