Schbang associate vice president Vaishnavi Thirumalai goes independent

MUMBAI: Turning the page after four years, Vaishnavi Thirumalai has stepped down from Schbang and begun an independent consulting practice focused on influencer marketing, talent management and brand strategy.

Thirumalai announced her departure in a LinkedIn post, bringing to a close a four-and-a-half-year stint at the agency, where she most recently served as associate vice president, leading operations across Schbang’s creator and influencer businesses.

She joined the agency in early 2022 as operations manager for Schbang Fluence before progressing through leadership roles, including senior operations and business development manager and later associate vice president.

During her tenure, Thirumalai played a key role in scaling the influencer management division from a four-member team to more than 22 professionals. She helped establish operational processes, expanded new business verticals, supported client acquisition efforts and led influencer-led campaigns across multiple industries.

Her responsibilities also included talent management, partnerships, public relations, integrated campaigns and celebrity collaborations, while overseeing contract negotiations and strengthening relationships with brands and creators.

Reflecting on her journey, Thirumalai said Schbang gave her the opportunity to grow from someone learning the fundamentals of influencer management into a leader responsible for building teams, systems and business processes.

In her LinkedIn post, she thanked colleagues, mentors and leadership for supporting her professional growth, adding that the experience helped her become “a more confident, adaptable, and resilient version” of herself.

Before joining Schbang, Thirumalai spent more than five years at Elevate PR, where she worked across fashion public relations and influencer relations, managing campaigns for brands including Anita Dongre, FCUK, AND, Global Desi and Amit Aggarwal. She also gained international experience through a stint at VALD Agency in Paris during her master’s programme at SKEMA Business School, where she worked on Paris Fashion Week and luxury brand communications.

Following her exit, Thirumalai has begun working independently, offering strategic support to brands across influencer marketing, talent management, partnerships, public relations and brand strategy. She said she is looking forward to collaborating with brands and businesses building their next phase of growth.