MAM
Weber Shandwick appoints Valerie Pinto to lead India operations
MUMBAI: Weber Shandwick has roped in Valerie Pinto to the role of chief executive, effective as of 1 January 2015. Pinto will report to Weber Shandwick, Asia Pacific chairman Tim Sutton.
In her role, Pinto will have overriding responsibility for the firm’s business in India. Her appointment is part of a broader strategy to build on the agency’s best-in-class India team. She will also join Weber Shandwick’s Asia Pacific senior management board.
Vice Chairman, Atul Ahluwalia will continue in his role. Pinto partners Ahluwalia in Weber Shandwick’s India Leadership Council. The Council also includes managing director of client services, Dilip Yadav; deputy managing director, Carolina Bajaj, and executive vice president, operations, Mabel Phoon who will all report to Pinto. Yadav is also Managing Director, India of Weber Shandwick’s second brand, Creation.
Pinto brings over sixteen years’ experience in communications and reputation management, having previously led Perfect Relations, a leading independent public relations consultancy that gained strong momentum under her leadership in India. During her distinguished career, she has led strategic counsel to a wide range of companies and executives across numerous industries. She has an outstanding track record in business growth and a particular reputation for effective talent management, having mentored many highly motivated and high performing professionals under her leadership.
Sutton said: “In the last few months, I have spoken to very many senior people in India – at agencies and clients, in media and business – for advice on the very best person to take our business in India to the next stage of market leadership. It was quite remarkable how many of them put Valerie at the very top of their ‘recommendation list’. She is a class act with a legendary reputation.
“She had many other options at this stage of her career, including running her own business, and I am so thrilled that our vision and ambition have persuaded her to join Weber Shandwick. This appointment signals our absolute determination to become the market leader in India.
“We are already blessed with a wonderful senior management team assembled by vice chairman Atul Ahluwalia. They have made Weber Shandwick the most awarded agency in India.”
“I am very delighted to welcome Valerie to our team,” said Ahluwalia. “She brings huge experience and stature with her.”
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
