MAM
Symon Hammacott joins VMLY&R as chief experience officer, Asia
Mumbai: Global brand experience agency VMLY&R on Tuesday announced the appointment of Symon Hammacott as chief experience officer, Asia. Based at VMLY&R’s Asia principal office in Singapore, Hammacott will be responsible for driving the customer experience (CX) practice for the agency network in Asia, leading the region’s customer experience and technology leadership teams in the development and implementation of business strategy to support current and new business in line with regional and global targets.
In this role, Hammacott will be tasked with identifying and investing in new technologies and partnerships to reinforce and develop VMLY&R’s CX portfolio. He will also actively participate in Team WPP pitches and proposals as well as global new business proposals, whilst championing CX; driving culture initiatives and talent development across VMLY&R’s principal offices around the world. In his new role, Hammacott will work closely and report to VMLY&R Asia co-CEO Tripti Lochan and global chief experience officer Jeff Geheb, said the agency in a statement.
“Symon brings a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to VMLY&R. He has a clear vision of how he wants to steer the practice in conjunction with our brand experience (BX) and commerce offerings, and his passions for sustainability and ethical design fit perfectly into our ethos of brands with purpose,” said Tripti Lochan.
Hammacott’s role will help to support VMLY&R’s go-to-market strategy to provide its clients with the most relevant and contemporary agency offering in the market today, merging creativity, technology, and culture to create connected brands that impact the world, said the agency in a statement.
Prior to joining VMLY&R, Hammacott was regional head of experience at Publicis Sapient, a role he held for six years. Before this, he was a consultant in experience strategy & experience design for global creative agency Isobar for more than 10 years.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Hammacott has spent more than two decades leading experience and technology companies, teams and enterprise-level programs for clients in Asia and across the world. A strong believer in transforming businesses through design-led change, throughout his career Hammacott has been instrumental in building world-class teams and developing market-leading products and services for companies across most industry verticals – delivering world-class experiences, mixed with a deep understanding and appreciation of local market nuances.
“Customer experience is not only the future, it’s also the ‘now’, and VMLY&R has already made extensive strides in bringing best-in-class customer experiences to their clients,” stated Hammacotton on his new assingment. “I am energised by the prospect of guiding our immensely talented teams across experience design, technology, product and data in helping clients to firstly gain market-leading positions with their CX and then stay ahead through better operationalising those experiences. In this way we can create meaningful, transformative products, services and capabilities that provide genuine value to both the consumer and our clients every day, and into the future.”
Brands
Kwality Wall’s reports standalone losses following strategic HUL demerger
Ice cream major faces Rs 64 crore Ebitda loss amid commodity inflation and muted Q3 sales
MUMBAI: Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL) has released its first set of financial results as a standalone entity, revealing a challenging start to its independent journey. Following its successful demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) on 1st December 2025 and its subsequent listing on 16th February 2026, the company is navigating a transition period marked by structural changes and high input costs.
For the quarter ended 31st December 2025, the company reported revenue of Rs 222 crores. Despite the revenue base, the bottom line was impacted by several factors, resulting in an Ebitda loss of Rs 64.2 crores. When calculated on a Pre-IND AS 116 basis, the Ebitda loss stood at Rs 83.8 crores.
Organic Sales Growth (OSG) declined by 6.5 per cent year-on-year during the quarter. Volume growth, however, saw a marginal increase of 1.2 per cent. The company reported a gross margin of 41.5 per cent. Additionally, exceptional expenses amounting to Rs 94 crores were recorded, primarily linked to non-recurring costs during the transition phase.
Performance across portfolios and channels was mixed. Within the impulse portfolio, brands such as Magnum and Cornetto recorded mid-single digit volume growth, indicating steady demand in on-the-go consumption. However, the in-home portfolio, which includes take-home packs, experienced muted consumption. The company is planning a relaunch of this category with improved offerings ahead of the 2026 season.
Quick commerce (Q-Com) continued to emerge as a strong growth driver, delivering robust double-digit growth during the quarter. Meanwhile, the company also expanded its physical distribution network by increasing the number of company-owned cabinets across markets.
Margin pressure during the quarter was driven by a combination of one-off factors and broader cost inflation. Gross margins were impacted by around 600 basis points due to trade investments made for stock liquidation. Additionally, cocoa price inflation contributed to another 400 basis points of pressure on margins.
Deputy managing director Chitrank Goel attributed the muted performance partly to prolonged monsoons and transitional challenges linked to the GST framework. Operating expenses also increased as the company invested in establishing its standalone supply chain, operational systems and corporate infrastructure following the demerger.
Looking ahead, the management remains focused on a volume-driven growth strategy. To restore profitability, the company has initiated a cost productivity programme aimed at reducing non-consumer-facing costs. It is also working on building regional manufacturing networks to optimise logistics expenses and improve operational efficiency.
The commodity outlook for the near term remains mixed. Dairy prices are expected to remain firm due to tight supply conditions and rising fodder costs. Sugar prices may also move higher following increases in the Minimum Selling Price (MSP). While cocoa prices have moderated recently, currency depreciation has offset some of the potential cost relief for the company.
