MAM
Publicis appoints Céline Fronval as general counsel
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has announced the appointment of Céline Fronval to the role of Groupe General Counsel. She took on her new role as of 1 May, 2017, and reports directly to Anne-Gabrielle Heilbronner, member of the directoire (Management Board) and secretary-general of Publicis Groupe.
Céline, previously the deputy general counsel of Publicis Groupe, will succeed Joe LaSala, who is retiring from Publicis Groupe after two years. Joe was the general counsel of Sapient from February 2011 to March 2015 and was promoted to Groupe General Counsel at Publicis Groupe in Paris after the acquisition of Sapient in April 2015.
Céline Fronval was the head of legal for France from September 2012 to September 2014, and promoted to Deputy General Counsel in October 2014. Prior to this, she worked in various law firms including Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in New York and in-house legal positions (Chief Legal Officer at BetClic Everest Group). Céline holds a LL.M degree from Columbia University and a Master degree (DEA) in International law from University Panthéon-Assas (Paris II).
Heilbronner said, “I’d like to thank Joe LaSala for these past few years he has served Publicis Groupe, during which he has truly proven his professionalism and expertise. I’d also like to wish Céline much success in her new role, which I am happy to see her take on after five successful years with the Groupe. Her experience and skills will be great assets with which she will carry out her missions.”
Brands
Metro Brands appoints Harshvardhan Chauhan as CMO & SMP
Retail veteran to steer brand strategy and accelerate growth
MUMBAI: Metro Brands has appointed Harshvardhan Chauhan as its chief marketing officer and senior management personnel, effective 23 February 2026.
The move brings nearly two decades of marketing muscle into the company’s leadership ranks. With over 18 years of experience across retail, fashion, lifestyle, grocery, home and e-commerce, Chauhan arrives with a well-rounded understanding of how brands capture attention and convert it into loyalty.
His professional journey includes stints at Bharat YEF, Trident Group, RPSG, DLF Shopping Malls, ShopClues, Godrej Group, Reckitt Benckiser and Accenture, where he worked across brand building, strategic growth and business leadership.
Chauhan holds a master’s degree in business administration with a specialisation in strategy and business management from Symbiosis, Pune. He has also completed the accelerated general management programme at IIM Ahmedabad, combining academic rigour with hands-on commercial experience.
In his new full-time role, he will report to chief executive officer Nissan Joseph and work closely with the leadership team to shape the next phase of brand expansion.
For Metro Brands, the appointment signals a sharpened focus on storytelling, scale and staying one step ahead in a competitive retail landscape.
