MAM
RepIndia appoints Durgesh Tiwari as senior account director-ORM
Mumbai: Independent digital agency RepIndia has announced the appointment of Durgesh Tiwari as a senior account director – ORM. With this strategic appointment, the agency is set to further strengthen its online reputation management and social response management verticals, it said in a statement.
In his new role, Tiwari will be leading a team of 45+ young individuals who are responsible for tracking and analysing consumer sentiment, protecting brand identity on digital, enhancing brand perception and reputation, and handling SEO for reputed clients. Additionally, he will also oversee 24×7 social CRM and will play a leading role in utilising social intelligence and consumer data to optimise the ROI for clients.
“To say that we are thrilled to have Durgesh on board is an understatement. His stellar experience in shaping the reputation of some of the most prestigious brands in the past speaks for itself,” said RepIndia CEO Archit Chenoy. “As we step up to embolden our vision of developing the most strategic and creative ORM team in the country, Durgesh brings the perfect blend of leadership, dynamism, and strategic business sensibility for our cherished clientele.”
Tiwari earlier worked with Innocean Worldwide India (IWI) as group account director for almost three years. He also spent five and a half years at digital agency Interactive Avenues before his stint with Innocean. He is a Maths graduate (BSc) with a post-graduate diploma in management (PGDM).
“In this ever-changing corporate world, the most effective and enduring agencies are built from the heart. The best thing at RepIndia is the culture of innovation and an ROI-driven approach,” commented Durgesh Tiwari on joining the company. “I am very excited to be a part of this young, energetic and talented team that leverages data, innovation, and technology to come up with effective solutions.”
Brands
Estée Lauder to shed 10,000 jobs as new boss bets on digital shift
The cosmetics giant raises its profit outlook but stays silent on a possible merger with Spain’s Puig, as job cuts deepen and a three-year sales slump weighs on the turnaround
NEW YORK: Stéphane de La Faverie is not done cutting. Estée Lauder announced on Friday that it plans to eliminate as many as 3,000 additional jobs, taking its total redundancy programme to as many as 10,000 roles, up from a previous target of 7,000 announced a year ago. The company, which owns La Mer, The Ordinary, Tom Ford, and Aveda, employs roughly 57,000 people worldwide. The mathematics of what is now being contemplated is stark.
The fresh round of cuts is expected to generate a further $200 million in savings, bringing the total annual savings from the programme to as much as $1.2 billion before taxes. That money, De La Faverie has made clear, will be ploughed back into the turnaround.
A CEO in a hurry
De La Faverie, who took the helm in January 2025, inherited a company that had endured three consecutive years of annual sales declines. His response has been to move fast and cut deep. A significant portion of the latest redundancies reflects his push to reduce headcount at US department stores, long a cornerstone of Estée Lauder’s distribution model but now a channel in structural decline. In their place, he is accelerating the shift toward faster-growing online platforms, including Amazon.com and TikTok Shop, a pivot that is reshaping not just where Estée Lauder sells but how it thinks about its customers.
The numbers are moving in the right direction
Despite the pain, there are signs the medicine is working. Estée Lauder raised its profit outlook for the remainder of the fiscal year, guiding for adjusted earnings per share in the range of $2.35 to $2.45, above analyst estimates and a notable step up from the $2.05 to $2.25 range it had guided for in February. Organic net sales growth is expected to come in at 3 per cent, the company said, at the high end of the range it set out in February.
The share price tells a mixed story. After De La Faverie took charge, the stock surged nearly 60 per cent, buoyed by investor optimism that a longtime company insider could finally arrest the decline. But 2026 has been rougher: the shares have fallen 27 per cent this year, weighed down by disappointing February results and the overhang of unresolved merger talks with Spanish beauty giant Puig Brands SA. The company gave no additional details about those discussions on Friday, leaving the market to guess.
Silence on Puig
The proposed tie-up with Puig remains the most consequential unknown hanging over Estée Lauder. A deal with the Barcelona-based group, which owns brands including Carolina Herrera and Rabanne, would reshape the global luxury beauty landscape. But with nothing new to say and a turnaround still very much in progress, De La Faverie is asking investors to trust the process.
Three years of sales declines, 10,000 job cuts, and a merger that may or may not happen. At Estée Lauder, the overhaul has barely started.
