MAM
Pops and Amir Kassaei on New York Festivals 2013 jury
MUMBAI: Leo Burnett India chief creative officer India Sub Continent KV Sridhar, fondly called Pops, and DDB Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Amir Kassaei have been selected to be part of New York Festivals International Advertising Awards. The announcement was made after the second round of appointments to the 2013 Executive Jury. Since 2011, NYF has assembled a group of worldwide creative officers brought together to select the world‘s best advertising.
The second round of the 2013 Executive Jury Members includes:
- Leo Burnett, India chief creative officer India Sub Continent KV Sridhar,
- JWT US president, chief integration officer Mike Geiger
- DM9 Jayme Syfu, Philippines chairman, chief creative officer Merlee Jaymee
- DDB Worldwide Chief Creative Officer Amir Kassaei,
- Havas Worldwide US chief creative officer Jason Peterson
- Y&R Asia, Singapore Chief Creative Officer Asia Marcus Rebeschini
Additional executive jury appointments are forthcoming. International Awards Group/New York Festivals president MichaelO‘Rourke said, “The 2013 Executive Jury will evaluate only the Shortlist selected by the NYF‘s Grand Jury. This process of the Executive Jury evaluating entries during five rounds of judging allows each entry to be given the utmost attention. To have your work seen by a jury with this much combined experience makes earning an award in the New York Festivals International Advertising Awards a testimony to the creativity and originality of the entry.”
The NYF Executive Jury will convene in New York City from 27 April – 1 May, concluding with the New York Show awards presentation on 2 May.
The executive jury evaluates every shortlisted entry selected by the online grand jury, comprised of 400+ international executive creative directors, making it the most diverse jury of any advertising competition in the world.
New York Festivals will host the 2013 celebration of the World‘s Best Advertising with The New York Show, a two-day series of creative events held at the New York Public Library‘s Beaux-Arts building in New York City. Festivities will be held on 1 and 2 May 2013 and includes the Executive Jury Press Conference, keynote speakers, creative panel discussions, networking events, and exhibits of the shortlisted work. Thursday evening features the 2013 New York Show awards ceremony and after-party to honor the winners in New York style.
New York Festivals International Advertising Awards receives entries from 70 countries, recognizing work in all media in the following competitions: Avant-Garde, Branded Entertainment, Creative Marketing Effectiveness, Design, Digital, Direct & Collateral, Film, Integrated, Outdoor, Print, Public & Media Relations, Public Service Announcements, Radio, and Student.
The deadline for the 2013 competition is 27 January 2013, entries received after this date are subject to a 15 per cent rush fee.
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.
