MAM
Performics India elevates Gautam Surath as its chief operating officer
Mumbai: Performics India, part of Publicis Groupe India has announced the elevation of Gautam Surath as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective from January 1, 2024. In his new position, Surath will provide strategic direction and oversight to all domestic large client portfolio, spanning across BFSI, CPG, Telco, Travel& Hospitality, Gaming and New-Age Startup industry verticals. In addition, he will integrate Performics’s rich expertise on digital media, e-commerce and SEO with new-age beyond media capabilities such as MarTech, Data, AI and Performance creatives to help our clients maximise value from their digital investments. In this new role, Surath will report to Lalatendu Das, Performics India CEO.
Surath has been with Publicis Groupe for over 20 years, working across, China, Southeast Asia and India. Surath has demonstrated an impressive track record in serving clients across media, ecommerce, data, analytics and technology. Prior to the current role, Surath led BFSI and CPG verticals for Performics India as its Managing Partner.
Performics is a leading provider of digital, performance marketing, e-commerce, digital creative and MarTech solutions in India. Performics India has been on a strong growth trajectory, clocking double digit revenue CAGR consistently over last 4 years. Further, 2023 has been a seminal year for Performics with multiple award wins at reputed platforms such as DRUM, Effies, MMA Smarties and Emvies. Performics India’s decision to appoint Surath as COO is a strategic move aligned to the company’s overarching vision of being the ‘pre-eminent full-stack digital marketing Agency in India.’ His proficiency in cross-disciplinary functions, along with his proven leadership capabilities, positions him as a key enabler in realising Performics India’s aforesaid vision.
Das said, “I am extremely pleased to have Gautam as our Chief Operating Officer at Performics India. Gautam brings rich digital experience at the intersection of digital Branding, eCommerce and Performance media. Our clients are looking for full-stack digital solutions, including rich media, SEO, digital creatives, data and AI, to drive specific outcomes.
Leveraging his holistic understanding on media, data, analytics and eCommerce, Gautam will provide consultative support to our clients in their growth journey. Further, as Chief Operating Officer, Gautam is poised to contribute significantly to Performics India’s continued success and growth trajectory. On behalf of the entire team at Performics India, I congratulate Gautam on this well-deserved promotion and look forward to our continued collaboration.”
Speaking about the new opportunity, Surath said “These are exciting times at Performics India. We are now well into our journey of creating expertise within our key industry verticals CPG, BFSI/Fintech, OTT and Telecom. We continue to strive to grow our clients market share through a blend of strategic, technological, and product-oriented solutions. In a world where consumers engage with more and more platforms, our 1800 performance marketing experts, who undergo continuous certification on these platforms bring a distinctive advantage to our clients. I look forward to being part of Performics India’s growth journey and the opportunity to shape it.”
MAM
HUL appoints Pavan Bedi as CMO for Foods business
Veteran marketer with 22-plus years at Unilever takes charge of foods portfolio in Mumbai.
MUMBAI: HUL’s foods division just got a seasoned flavour boost because when it comes to seasoning success, Pavan Bedi knows exactly how to stir the pot. Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has elevated long-time leader Pavan Bedi to chief marketing officer for its Foods business, the company confirmed on 23 February 2026. Bedi, who has spent over 22 years with the FMCG giant, shared the news himself on LinkedIn, writing: “I’m delighted to share that I will be stepping into a new role as CMO Foods, HUL”.
Before this Mumbai-based appointment, Bedi served as global brand vice president for more than four years. His career is dotted with high-impact global roles: he was global brand director for Pond’s (based in Singapore), driving innovation across South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, led the high-profile rebranding of Fair & Lovely to Glow & Lovely as global brand director; and spent six years shaping Lifebuoy’s “Purpose agenda” and “Social Mission”, forging public-private partnerships with the United Nations and other platforms.
Now overseeing HUL’s sprawling foods lineup from staples to snacks and everything in between Bedi steps into one of the company’s most dynamic verticals at a time when consumer tastes are evolving fast. His track record blending global scale, brand transformation, and purpose-led marketing makes him a natural fit for steering strategic growth and creative campaigns in the category.
In his LinkedIn post, Bedi underscored his enduring commitment to Unilever’s vision, framing the move as another chapter in a career built on long-term impact rather than quick wins.
For an organisation that thrives on trusted, household names, Bedi’s elevation is less a surprise and more a reminder, the best recipes for growth often come from ingredients that have been simmering for over two decades. Whether it’s rebranding icons or building purpose at scale, he’s now tasked with making sure HUL’s foods business stays as appetising tomorrow as it is today.
