MAM
Ogilvy strengthens Mumbai team with 4 new senior hires
MUMBAI: After fabulous few months of winning new businesses, Ogilvy Mumbai has appointed four senior creative directors.
Ogilvy India NCD Abhijit Avasthi said, “In order to bolster our creative strength we have brought in these stars. Each of them has a unique way of thinking which will enrich Ogilvy greatly.”
The four new senior creative directors will be based in Mumbai and report to the senior creative and business heads in Ogilvy Advertising.
Neville Shah, a post graduate from Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, completed copywriting at The Creative Circus in Atlanta has been appointed as group CD. His work experience spans over companies like MTV India & MTV Indies, Commonwealth Worldwide, McCann Worldgroup, Creativeland Asia, JWT, Mudra, TBWA, McCann-Erickson, Times of India Group, JAM, 107.1 FM Rainbow and The Company Theatre. He has worked on Indian and multinational brands such as Chevrolet, Set Max, Standard Chartered Bank, Nissan, Airtel, Philips, ESPN, Star Sports, Bajaj Allianz, Parle Agro, Dabur, ITC and several more.
Syed Mohammed Talha Nazim, who started his career at 19, has spent the first 19 years of his career in Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore and Kuala Lumpur. Having worked in agencies such as Burnett & McCann on prestigious clients like Chevrolet, BMW, Fiat, Petronas, Coca-Cola, Nescafe, Dutch Lady, Aircel, McDonalds, to name some, he chose to return to Mumbai with Ogilvy.
An IBF graduate from Sir JJ Institute of Applied Art, Mahesh Madhukar Parab, has worked with agencies such as Da’Cunha Communications, Ambience Publicis, McCann Erickson, DDB Mudra and Contract Advertising. His work experiences spans across Indian and multinational brands such as Amul, Western Union, Siemens, HUL, Marico, Reliance, Yellow Pages, Hanes, Tata Indicom, BPL Mobile, NEO, Star Plus, Edelweiss, Tata Motor International, Asian Paints, Cadbury’s, BATA, Yamaha, Dabur, Wrigley’s, UTI Bank, Kotak Bank, to name a few.
And lastly, Talha Bin Mohsin is a post graduate in Communication after doing his Bachelors in International Business & Finance. Mohsin has worked with agencies such as Contract, DDB Mudra, Leo Burnett & McCann Erickson. His work experience covers brands such as Coca Cola, National Geographic Channel, Schneider Electric, Philips Lighting, HBO, McDonald’s, Dabur, Godrej, Big Bazaar, Maharashtra Tourism, Parachute, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Barclays Bank, Radio Mirchi, Mediker, Twinings, Wrigley’s (Boomer & Orbit), Yamaha, Bata, Cadbury (Choclairs, Halls), Asian Paints (Tractor, Apcolite), Tata Motors.
On the new appointments, Ogilvy Mumbai & Kolkata president Navin Talreja said, “New ways of thinking, new kind of work and new ways of adding value is what Ogilvy is known for and what we continuously strive to achieve. To stay ahead of the game we need to constantly add new energy and new ideas to existing ones. These exceptionally talented hires will do just that.”
MAM
Reed Hastings to exit Netflix board as company posts steady growth
Shares dip 8 per cent as cofounder exits; revenue up 16 per cent to $12.25 billion.
MUMBAI- When the man who taught the world to binge decides to log off, the credits don’t just roll, they reset the script. Reed Hastings is set to step away from Netflix, marking the end of a defining chapter for a company that reshaped global entertainment even as its latest numbers suggest a business finding firmer footing.
Hastings, who co-founded Netflix nearly three decades ago and transformed it from a DVD-by-mail service into a streaming powerhouse, will not stand for re-election at the company’s annual meeting in June. While the company offered little detail on his next move beyond philanthropy and personal pursuits, the symbolic weight of his departure was immediate. Shares fell around 8 per cent following the announcement, underlining how closely Hastings remains tied to investor confidence and the company’s long-term vision.
The exit comes at a moment of recalibration. Netflix has been working to stabilise growth after a period of strategic turbulence, including the loss of a high-profile $72 billion deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery to Paramount Skydance, a setback that raised fresh questions about its ambitions in large-scale content consolidation. Yet, if the deal slipped, the fundamentals appear to be holding.
For the first quarter, Netflix reported revenue growth of 16 per cent to $12.25 billion, slightly ahead of expectations, while earnings per share nearly doubled to $1.23 from 66 cents a year ago. The company reaffirmed its full-year outlook, projecting double-digit revenue growth, expanding margins and strong free cash flow signals aimed squarely at calming post-announcement jitters.
In its shareholder communication, Netflix struck a careful balance between legacy and continuity. Its mission, it reiterated, remains unchanged: to serve a global audience with diverse storytelling across languages and cultures. The message was clear—while a founder may exit, the playbook stays in motion.
At the same time, the company is quietly redrawing that playbook. Netflix is leaning into newer formats such as video podcasts and live programming, including events like the World Baseball Classic in Japan, reflecting a broader industry shift where streaming, television and live experiences increasingly overlap. Advertising, once an afterthought in its subscription-first model, is now moving centre stage, with the company projecting ad revenues of $3 billion in 2026 roughly double current levels.
Still, some questions linger in the wings. Chief among them is how Netflix plans to deploy the $2.8 billion termination fee from the collapsed Warner Bros deal. With competition for premium content intensifying, capital allocation decisions in the coming quarters could prove as consequential as the leadership transition itself.
For now, Netflix finds itself in a familiar paradox: a company built on disruption navigating continuity. Hastings may be stepping off the stage, but the show by design goes on.
