MAM
RS Sodhi conferred ‘Business Leader of the Year’ at the 8th IAA Leadership Awards
Mumbai: The India chapter of the International Advertising Association’s (IAA) has announced the winners for the eighth edition of the Leadership Awards here on Friday evening.
Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (Amul) managing director Dr RS Sodhi bagged the top honours for Business Leader of the Year. Sony Pictures Network India CEO NP Singh was conferred with the Media Person of the Year award. Veteran film actor Anil Kapoor walked home with the Brand Endorser for the Year award, while Wion’s executive editor Palki Sharma Upadhyay was awarded TV Anchor of the Year.
“I have learned a lot from people right from my retailer to the people sitting here because we interact with the best in the advertising and marketing industry,” said Dr Sodhi, in his acceptance speech. “I would like to tell you one thing that in today’s time the advertising and marketing field has garnered a lot of importance. There are so many retailers coming into the market. The pressure is growing. In order to prove yourself, you have to be creative, and when you bring that creativity in the local language, you will be closer to earth and you will be relevant in the industry.”
The IAA Leadership Awards, which honour individuals in the fields of marketing, advertising and media every year, were presented by the Maharashtra governor and chief guest at the function Bhagat Singh Koshyari, and IAA India chapter president Megha Tata, among others.
Zee was the presenting partner, Good News Today (GNT) powered by partner & Viacom18 the associate partner for the event.
“While we were planning the awards for 2021 we wanted to highlight leaders that have established new age businesses. For one thing this year has taught us is to be agile,” said IAA president Megha Tata.
“We have seen time and again that change or unexpected situations often lead to some brands or organizations and people succeeding while some may collapse. The difference between the two begins right at the top with the leader. And while I can describe our leaders tonight in many ways, I would just like to say that these unprecedented times call for unprecedented leadership and our leaders today definitely delivered on that,” she added.
IAA India inducted Raj Nayak into the IAA Hall of Fame for investing a lifetime in the MarCom industry and for his sterling role in directing the India chapter of IAA towards its ongoing role in being the voice of sustainability.
Other prominent recipients at the awards were Bobby Pawar (Creative Agency Leader of the Year), Nandini Dias (Media Agency Leader of the Year), and Raj Kamal Jha (Editor of the Year).
“True leadership is often about perspective, inner perspective. And for men and women with vision it is not always about different things, but sometimes it’s about the same things differently,” said IAA Leadership Awards co-chair Nandini Dias, articulating her thoughts on the definition of leadership. “That’s when one understands what leadership is actually made of. Leadership is not a talent, art form or science. It is simply about taking the first step in spaces where there are no written rules. So you make your rules because you make your own limits.”
Brands
Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen to step down after 18 years in role
Board begins CEO search as Narayen prepares to move to chair role
SAN JOSE: After nearly two decades at the helm, Adobe’s long-serving chief executive Shantanu Narayen is preparing to pass the baton.
The company announced that Narayen will transition from his role as chief executive officer once a successor is appointed, ending an 18-year run that reshaped Adobe from a boxed software seller into a global cloud and AI powerhouse. He will remain chair of the board following the leadership transition.
Adobe’s board has formed a special committee to oversee the succession process, led by lead independent director Frank Calderoni. The committee will evaluate both internal and external candidates.
“Shantanu’s leadership has been instrumental in Adobe’s transformation and in positioning the company for the AI-driven era,” Calderoni said in a statement. “As we begin the next phase of succession planning, our focus is on identifying the right leader for the company’s next chapter while ensuring a smooth transition.”
In a note to employees, Narayen described the moment not as a farewell but as a pause for reflection after a long journey with the company.
“I love Adobe and the privilege of leading it has been the greatest honour of my career,” he wrote, adding that he will continue to work closely with the board over the coming months to ensure a seamless leadership change.
Tributes from the technology industry quickly followed the announcement. Microsoft chairman and chief executive officer Satya Nadella congratulated Narayen on what he described as a “legendary run” at Adobe.
“Congrats Shantanu, on a legendary run at Adobe! You’ve built one of the most important software companies in the world, and expanded what’s possible for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands everywhere,” Nadella wrote on LinkedIn.
“What has always stood out to me is the empathy you’ve brought to the creative process and the example you’ve set as a leader. Grateful for your friendship, mentorship, and for all you’ve done for Adobe and for our industry.”
Narayen’s career at Adobe spans nearly three decades. He joined the company in 1998 as vice president and rose steadily through the ranks before becoming chief executive officer in December 2007.
During that time, he orchestrated one of the most significant reinventions in the software industry. In 2013, Adobe made the bold decision to abandon traditional boxed software sales and move its flagship creative tools such as Photoshop to a subscription-based Creative Cloud model. The shift initially rattled investors but ultimately transformed Adobe into a predictable recurring revenue business and a case study in digital reinvention.
Narayen also pushed Adobe beyond creative tools into the world of marketing technology and data-driven customer experience, spearheading acquisitions such as Omniture and Marketo. Those moves helped build Adobe’s digital experience division and broaden its reach far beyond designers and photographers.
The numbers tell the story of that transformation. When Narayen took over in 2007, Adobe generated roughly $3 billion in annual revenue. Today the company reports more than $25 billion. Over the same period, its workforce expanded from around 3,000 employees to more than 30,000.
In recent years, Narayen has steered Adobe into the generative AI era with the launch of Adobe Firefly, aiming to keep the company ahead in a rapidly evolving creative technology landscape.
Born in Hyderabad in 1963, Narayen studied electronics and communication engineering at Osmania University before moving to the United States for a master’s degree in computer science from Bowling Green State University. He later earned an MBA from the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.
Widely regarded as one of Silicon Valley’s most steady and effective leaders, Narayen has earned multiple honours during his career, including India’s Padma Shri in 2019.
For Adobe, the upcoming leadership change marks the end of a defining chapter. For Narayen, however, the story is far from finished. As he told employees, the company’s next era of creativity, powered by AI and new digital workflows, is only just beginning.
