MAM
Starcom Mediavest Group gets Sue Frogley on board
MUMBAI: Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) has announced that Sue Frogley will join the company as global commercial director.
Responsible for building a strong commercial capability and practice to drive client revenue, Frogley will work across all of SMG’s global network clients, setting a strategic M&A vision and investment strategy. Frogley will help identify and architect new commercial models and trading deals to drive diversification of new revenue sources.
Based in London, Frogley will report to SMG global CEO Laura Desmond.
Frogley joins SMG from Dentsu Aegis Media, where she was most commercial operations president. She was responsible for all commercial negotiations and commercial development at a global level, covering both new and existing clients. Prior to this, Frogley was CFO at Aegis Media Global and Isobar Global, where she built a commercial platform for development of global clients involving large-scale transformation.
“As clients move more toward globalization and as marketplace dynamics are changing at warp speed, Sue will be instrumental in navigating the landscape and maximizing value for our business and for our clients,” said Desmond. “She has a proven track record of long-term value creation, building teams and delivering innovative global commercial solutions. She will help SMG continue our growth trajectory, while developing our commercial market position.”
Frogley added, “Throughout my career, SMG has always stood out—setting the standard as a future-forward, global agency. I’m thrilled to be joining the team at such an exciting time in the industry and look forward to becoming part of their entrepreneurial talent and helping promote best-in-market offerings across SMG’s portfolio.”
Brands
Wipro hires 7,500 freshers, withholds FY27 hiring outlook
Profit rises to Rs 3,522 crore, Rs 15,000 crore buyback announced.
MUMBAI- Hiring may be on, but visibility is off, Wipro is adding talent even as it pauses the crystal ball. The company hired 7,500 freshers in FY26 but stopped short of offering any hiring outlook for FY27, underscoring the uncertainty gripping the IT services sector as it pivots towards an AI-led operating model.
The disclosure came alongside its fourth-quarter earnings, where management flagged volatile demand conditions and refrained from committing to future workforce expansion. Chief human resources officer Saurabh Govil noted that over 3,000 of the total hires were onboarded in the March quarter alone, signalling continued intake despite a lack of clarity on deployment pipelines.
This divergence active hiring without forward guidance reflects a broader industry pattern where talent acquisition continues even as deal conversions remain uneven and client spending cycles stretch. Wipro expects its IT services revenue for the June quarter to range between a decline of 2 per cent and flat growth sequentially in constant currency terms, reinforcing near-term caution.
Chief executive officer Srini Pallia pointed to artificial intelligence as both a disruptor and an opportunity. He said evolving client priorities are pushing the company towards outcome-driven engagements, with Wipro increasingly focusing on a services-as-software model through its AI Native Business and Platforms unit. The shift marks a structural change from traditional headcount-led growth to AI-enabled delivery frameworks.
The company has already committed over $1 billion to its AI ecosystem, with investors closely watching how these investments translate into revenue. For now, the numbers present a mixed picture. Net profit rose sequentially to Rs 3,522 crore, while revenue grew 3 per cent to Rs 24,236 crore. However, core IT services performance remained under pressure, with full-year revenue declining 0.3 per cent in dollar terms and 1.6 per cent in constant currency.
Large deal bookings offered a counterpoint, rising 45.4 per cent year-on-year to $7.8 billion, highlighting a widening gap between deal wins and actual revenue realisation. On a quarterly basis, IT services revenue slipped 1.2 per cent sequentially, signalling continued softness in execution.
Margins, however, told a more optimistic story. Operating margins expanded to 17.3 per cent in the fourth quarter, up from 14.8 per cent in the previous quarter, reflecting improved cost discipline. That said, the company cautioned that upcoming wage hikes and the ramp-up of large deals could exert pressure going forward.
Attrition stood at 13.8 per cent in the March quarter, indicating stabilisation after periods of elevated churn. Alongside its earnings, Wipro also announced a Rs 15,000 crore share buyback, reinforcing its focus on shareholder returns, with a payout ratio of 88 per cent over the past three years.
Taken together, the numbers capture a company in transition investing in AI, maintaining hiring momentum, but navigating a demand environment where growth is uneven and visibility remains limited.
