Brands
Sandeep Walunj joins Equirus Group as chief growth officer
MUMBAI: Equirus Group has brought on board seasoned business leader Sandeep Walunj as its chief growth officer, signalling a fresh push towards sharper positioning and faster, more connected growth across the Group.
In his new role, Walunj will lead Equirus’ growth agenda, strengthen its corporate identity and ensure that the Group’s diverse financial businesses move forward with a shared purpose. The appointment comes as Equirus accelerates expansion across multiple financial services verticals.
An alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, Walunj brings nearly three decades of experience spanning India and the Middle East and North Africa. His career has blended strategy with storytelling, covering brand building, market expansion, digital sales, consumer segmentation and, more recently, data science and GenAI-led growth initiatives.
He is widely recognised for his role on the Financial Literacy Committee of the Association of Mutual Funds in India, where he helped drive the influential Mutual Funds Sahi Hai campaign. The initiative played a key role in reshaping public perception of equity investing and fuelling long-term growth in mutual funds and broking.
Walunj’s work has earned him multiple industry accolades, including CMO of the Year in 2017, 2019 and 2023, and Businessperson of the Year in 2018. Beyond executive roles, he remains closely engaged with the wider ecosystem as a member of the Asia-Pacific Advisory Board of the CMO Council in the US and the BFSI Committee of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, West Region.
Welcoming him to the Group, Equirus Group managing director Ajay Garg, said the timing could not be better. With several businesses entering their next growth phase, Garg noted that Walunj’s mix of financial services insight, brand-led thinking and technology-driven transformation would add valuable depth to the leadership team.
Walunj said Equirus presented a rare opportunity to build customer-first growth across a diverse financial platform. His focus, he added, will be on creating a clear growth narrative powered by data, technology and strong collaboration, with an eye firmly on long-term, sustainable value creation.
Brands
Safex Group appoints Richa Malhotra as group chief financial officer
Former Standard Chartered executive to steer finance
NEW DELHI: Safex Chemicals has appointed Richa Malhotra as group chief financial officer, strengthening its leadership team as the company prepares for the next phase of expansion in specialty chemicals and global agrochemicals.
In her new role, Malhotra will lead the group’s financial strategy, capital architecture and governance framework as Safex scales operations across multiple verticals including branded formulations, specialty chemicals and contract manufacturing.
A chartered accountant and graduate of Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi, Malhotra brings more than two decades of experience in business finance, strategic planning, corporate banking and client management.
Before joining Safex, she served as executive director, financial markets at Standard Chartered, where she led teams across India and Sri Lanka and worked closely with large corporates, global subsidiaries and commercial banking clients. Her expertise includes capital structuring, treasury operations, risk management and financial markets led financing solutions.
Safex Group promoter director and joint managing director Piyush Jindal, said the appointment comes at a pivotal time for the company. “Safex stands at an inflection point as we build an integrated platform across branded formulations, specialty chemicals and contract manufacturing. Richa’s experience across global financial institutions will strengthen our financial discipline and help unlock value across the group,” he said.
Malhotra said she was looking forward to contributing to the company’s next chapter of growth. “Safex has built a strong reputation over 35 years with its focus on integrity, innovation and agricultural insight. I am excited to be part of the organisation as it expands its footprint in India and global markets,” she said.
The appointment comes as Safex continues to strengthen its financial foundations and scale operations internationally, positioning itself for future growth milestones.
