MAM
Sonali Malaviya appointed as managing director Essence India
MUMBAI: Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency which is part of GroupM on Thursday announced the appointment of Sonali Malaviya as the agency’s managing director for India.
Malviya will be responsible for leading continued client-centric innovation in data, analytics and technology, as well as business growth and company culture for the agency in the market. Based out of Delhi, she will report to Essence APAC CEO, T. Gangadhar and GroupM South Asia CEO, Prasanth Kumar. She will join Essence’s APAC leadership team and GroupM India’s executive committee as part of her role. Meanwhile, Anand Chakravarthy, previously managing director for Essence India, has moved on from the agency to pursue new opportunities.
Joining Essence in 2018, Malaviya most recently led the agency’s Google business in India and Southeast Asia as senior vice president, client services. Previously, she served as chief operating officer at Colorbar Cosmetics and country marketing lead at Twitter in India. With over 20 years of industry experience, she has also held senior roles at Mindshare, PHD, Roy Morgan Research and MediaCom in India, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.
“Sonali comes with rich experience in management, marketing and media across industries and markets, as well as a deep understanding of Essence’s business, work, people and culture. In addition to building strong, collaborative partnerships with clients and employees alike, she is an advocate of diversity and inclusion in the workplace. India continues to be a priority for Essence in APAC and globally, and with Sonali at the helm, I am very excited about our next phase of growth and development in the market,” said Essence APAC CEO, T. Gangadhar. “We would also like to thank Anand for his efforts in helping to establish our business in India over the last three years. We greatly appreciate his contributions and wish him the best in his future endeavours.”
“We are glad to see Sonali take over the role of Essence India managing director. With her background and significant achievements, she will add to the capabilities of Essence and work with our teams to improve the client experience. As we continue to develop leaders internally, Sonali is also part of our growing pool of talent taking on various leadership roles across GroupM India. I look forward to working with Sonali and leveraging her expertise,” said GroupM South Asia CEO, Prasanth Kumar.
“I am truly honoured to have the opportunity to lead Essence in India. Over the past three years, I have witnessed and been part of our incredible growth story in this market, and am very proud of what our agency, clients and employees have achieved together. I am looking forward to partnering with our highly talented teams and leveraging our industry-leading capabilities to help even more brands in India achieve data-driven growth and transformation, as well as valuable connections with consumers,” said Malaviya.
Brands
Warner Bros. Discovery names Shazia Fazal head affiliate sales, South Asia.
Nine-year journey comes full circle as she takes top distribution role
MUMBAI: Warner Bros. Discovery has elevated Shazia Fazal to head of affiliate sales, south asia, marking a full circle moment in a career that began with her watching the company’s content as a young girl.
Fazal, who completes nine years with the media major this month, moves up from her role as senior director, DTH, telecom and digital alliances. In her new position as head of affiliate sales, south asia, she will lead affiliate distribution across one of the company’s most dynamic and competitive regions.
Reflecting on the promotion, Fazal described the milestone as something even a scriptwriter might struggle to improve upon. Raised by what she calls a “fiercely feminist” father who encouraged her to “be yourself ferociously”, she has risen to head distribution in a field long dominated by men.
The appointment also underscores a broader cultural shift within the organisation. Fazal noted that 80 per cent of the leadership team she works with are women, a statistic that stands out in an industry where representation figures often tell a different story. She credited the environment fostered by India leader Arjun Nohwar for enabling merit, ambition and authenticity to thrive, and acknowledged the mentorship of Vijay Rajput in her journey.
Her career path reflects steady momentum. Fazal joined the Discovery business in 2017 as associate director, DTH, later moving through director, DTH and telecom partnerships and senior director roles spanning dth, telecom and digital partnerships. Following the merger that formed Warner Bros. Discovery, she continued to expand her remit across south asia.
Before her tenure at Discovery, she spent over six years at Sony Pictures Networks India, where she held multiple business development roles including deputy associate director, business development and senior manager, business development. Earlier stints at West Coast Group and Marketing Solutions Private Limited laid the groundwork for her expertise in partnerships and client relationships.
Leading affiliate sales in India means navigating a market that is as complex as it is fast moving, with traditional distribution platforms intersecting with telecom operators and digital players. For Fazal, however, the challenge appears to be part of the appeal.
Nine years in, she describes the journey in three words: growth, gratitude and grit. If her story reads like a well-crafted screenplay, the latest chapter suggests there are many more scenes yet to unfold.
