MAM
Nickelodeon beefs up Asia Pacific team, appoints Wai Leng as marketing director
MUMBAI: Nickelodeon Asia Pacific has appointed Chan Wai Leng as director of marketing and communications. Responsible for the strategic development of the marketing and communications function, Wai Leng is tasked to chart the growth and direction of Nickelodeon as the leading entertainment brand dedicated exclusively for kids aged two to 14 years old.
Wai Leng is based in Singapore and will report to Nickelodeon Asia Pacific vice president marketing and communications who is slated to join later this year.
Also promoted is Myra Mo?ozca, who will now be director of marketing and retail business development for Nickelodeon and Viacom Consumer Products in Asia-Pacific.
Reporting to vice president consumer products Indra Suharjono, Mo?ozca will be responsible for developing new opportunities for Nickelodeon merchandising and creating strategic alliances with licensing partners.
“These appointments are significant steps in further boosting the Nickelodeon team as we continue our rapid growth in the Asia Pacific region. Their years of expertise and valuable experience in the field are tremendous assets, which will contribute greatly to Nickelodeon’s development. This is also in keeping with MTV Network Asia’s move to accelerate the expansion and reinforce Nickelodeon’s stronghold in Asia,” said Nickelodeon Asia Pacific senior vice president and general manager Catherine Nebauer.
Wai Leng will lead and supervise the team and will also be responsible for ensuring that the communications and media relations efforts reflect the objectives and positioning of Nickelodeon. Wai Leng will also take full advantage of opportunities to further propel Nickelodeon into the industry market and assist in producing innovative and dynamic marketing campaigns and strategies.
Wai Leng was formerly at Time magazine where she played a key role in promoting their brand identity through various major events, sponsorships and trade and consumer marketing initiatives. Prior to working at Time, she held the post of senior marketing communications executive at International SOS (formerly known as AEA International Pte. Ltd.).
Prior to her new appointment, Mo?ozca was Nickelodeon Asia-Pacific regional manager of marketing and communications and responsible for event management and marketing activities in Asia-Pacific, with key focus in championing the Nickelodeon brand and its properties in countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines and Singapore.
Prior to that, she was the marketing and communications manager of Nickelodeon in the Philippines and was responsible for many brand-building and pro-social initiatives like Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards, Let Just Play, and The Big Help.
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
