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Unilever splits biz between Mindshare, PHD and Initiative
MUMBAI: Unilever, which had initiated a global review in early 2012 in line with company policy to evaluate media agency arrangements periodically, has split the business between Mindshare, PHD and Initiative globally.
In India,As a part of the announcement, WPP‘s Mindshare will continue to buy and plan media for Unilever in markets including Europe (UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Romania, Bulgaria and Serbia), North America (US, Canada and Caribbean), Asia (India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Viet Nam, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh) and Africa (South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa).
Omnicom‘s media agency PHD has been appointed in Europe (Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina), Asia (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and New Zealand) while IPG‘s media agency Initiative has been appointed in Latin America (all countries including Mexico, excluding Brazil) and Europe (Greece, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus).
Additionally, PHD will also handle the global communication planning account for personal care, refreshment, foods and homecare brands. Global planning for Household Care will be managed by Initiative, as part of an integrated IPG solution.
Unilever SVP Global Media Luis Di Como said, “We are confident that we have the right agency partners to service our business. They will help us leverage our scale and engage with consumers around the world in effective and meaningful ways, in order to fulfill our ambition of doubling the size of our business while reducing our environmental footprint and increasing our social impact.”
“We greatly value the long-term relationships that we have with our agency partners and look forward to continue working closely with them to deliver our marketing strategy, Crafting Brands for Life, and our ambition to continue leading in the digital marketing space,” Di Como added.
MAM
Kwality Wall’s appoints new board members after Magnum acquisition
Abhijit Bhattacharya named Chairperson as ice cream company enters next growth phase.
MUMBAI: When your ice cream business gets a fresh scoop of leadership, things are bound to get even cooler and Kwality Wall’s has just done exactly that. Kwality Wall’s (India) Limited (KWIL), now part of The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC), has announced the appointment of Abhijit Bhattacharya and Tahir Toloy Tanridagli to its Board of Directors. The appointments, effective 30 March, follow TMICC HoldCo’s acquisition of a controlling 61.90 per cent stake in KWIL.
Mr Abhijit Bhattacharya has been appointed as additional (non-executive and non-independent) director and chairperson of the board. He currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of The Magnum Ice Cream Company N.V. and previously held the role of CFO for Unilever Ice Cream. With nearly four decades of experience, including 38 years at Koninklijke Philips N.V. in senior finance and operational roles across Europe, Asia and the United States, Bhattacharya brings deep expertise in strategic transformation and complex corporate restructurings.
Mr Tahir Toloy Tanridagli has been appointed as additional (non-executive and non-independent) director. A graduate of Bogazici University with a High Honours BA in Business Administration, he currently serves as President for METSA markets (Middle East, Turkey, Africa, Israel, and South Asia) at TMICC and is a member of the Global Ice Cream Executive Leadership Team. With over two decades in the snacking and FMCG sector, including leadership roles at Kraft Foods–Mondelez and Unilever, Toloy has extensive experience across ice cream, chocolate, snacks, beverages and desserts.
The appointments come as KWIL, which listed as an independent entity after its demerger from Hindustan Unilever Limited, enters a new phase of growth following the Share Purchase Agreement signed between Unilever and TMICC in June 2025.
In the fast-melting world of ice cream, adding two heavyweights to the board is a clear signal that Kwality Wall’s is ready to scoop up even bigger opportunities ahead.
