MAM
Publicis Groupe appoints Deepak Pant as head of data science
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe India announced today the appointment of Deepak Pant as head, data science practice. In this role, Deepak will be in-charge of enhancing capabilities on measurement, research, advanced analytics, digital analytics, data strategy including data integrity and automation, and also developmental work on Publicis people cloud.
Externally, the Data Science Practice provides data strategy and advanced analytics solutions in the area of market mix models, digital analytics and attribution analytics. It works extensively with Groupe clients not only in India but through its centre of excellence also provides services to marketers across the world. With more than 100 experts, it leverages Publicis Groupe’s expertise in marketing, media, digital, data and technology to craft solutions that enable marketers with smart business decisions and predictive models that maximise returns on investment.
Deepak, a B-Tech graduate, and an MBA from Booth School of Business, Chicago, comes with over 24 years of rich experience in data science, advanced analytics, digital analytics, digital transformation and AI/ML across diverse sectors like FMCG, BFSI, manufacturing and logistics. He has worked in Chicago for about 18 years across diverse organisations including long stints with Neilson and 4i Consulting. His last stint was with Cognizant, where he worked as the director AI and analytics – Cognizant Digital Business.
Publicis Groupe South Asia CEO Anupriya Acharya says, “Data is what fuels our marketing transformation solutions across creative, media and tech. In the last six years, we have made significant progress in our Data Science Practice and today it competes with the best specialist shops. While it started as a centre of excellence providing advanced analytics solutions to our global clients, in the last three to four years we have seen increased appetite and hence huge uptake even in the local market. As margins of companies come under pressure the focus on ROI of marketing is only increasing. With 2000+ experts across digital and tech in the Groupe, our Data Science Practice has unmatched ability on multiple domain solutions.
“It is both an honour and a huge responsibility to lead the Publics Groupe India’s Data Science Practise. The exciting possibilities that the scale and diversity of the Groupe and its clients present are unmatched. I look forward to making a difference here and bringing disruptive solutions that enable strong business results for clients and the Groupe alike”, says Pant.
Brands
Air Canada ceo to quit over “English-only” message after New York plane crash
English-only condolence video after fatal LaGuardia crash triggers outrage in Quebec and hastens succession
MONTREAL: Air Canada’s boss is heading for the exit after a linguistic misstep collided with a national faultline.
Michael Rousseau will retire by October, the airline said on Monday, days after a backlash over his English-only video tribute following a deadly crash involving an Air Canada Express jet in New York. The March 22 collision with a fire truck at LaGuardia Airport killed two pilots and injured dozens, but Rousseau’s message, bookended only by “bonjour” and “merci”, ignited fury in French-speaking Quebec.
Mark Carney welcomed the departure, calling the video a “lack of judgment and lack of compassion”. “It is absolutely essential that his successor is completely bilingual,” he said in Toronto. “He did a good job technically as CEO but as the leader of an organisation you have broader responsibilities. It’s the right decision at the right time.”
The row quickly metastasised. Quebec’s National Assembly voted 92–0 for Rousseau to quit. More than 1,800 complaints flooded the federal languages watchdog. Even Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, a major shareholder, weighed in. “There is no doubt that the video should have been in both official languages.”
The symbolism cut deep. One of the dead pilots, Antoine Forest, was from Quebec. Language, long a live wire in the province, remains entwined with identity and politics, fuelling the separatist Parti Québécois ahead of an election due by October.
Rousseau, 68, had form. In 2021, soon after taking charge, he drew fire for delivering a Montreal speech largely in English and boasting he had lived there for years without speaking French. He apologised then and again last week, saying he was “deeply saddened” his limitations had “diverted attention from the profound grief of the families and the great resilience of Air Canada’s employees.” He had logged more than 300 hours of French lessons since taking the helm in February 2021.
Operationally, his tenure was steadier. He steered Air Canada through the pandemic and its messy aftermath, though labour tensions, most notably a four-day cabin crew strike, dogged the recovery. Shares slipped more than 2 per cent after the news before trimming losses to about 1.2 per cent on the Toronto exchange.
The airline, bound by the Official Languages Act to serve customers in both English and French, said it is accelerating a succession plan already under way, with candidates to be judged in part on their French. Analysts say the next chief must pair operational discipline with strategic clarity amid fuel volatility, labour costs and fierce competition.
A dual crisis—metal on tarmac in New York and politics at home—has now claimed its most senior scalp. In Canada’s flag carrier, competence got Rousseau far. In the end, fluency finished the job.
