MAM
Weber Shandwick is Uefa’s PR agency
MUMBAI: Public relations (PR) agency Weber Shandwick has been awarded a contract to support football’s governing body Uefa’s marketing and media management division (UMMM).
The firm was appointed following two projects it carried out for the Uefa in June and July 2005 around the Uefa Women’s Euro 2005 and the launch of the official Uefa Euro 2008 logo.
Weber Shandwick will work with UMMM to develop strategic communications targeting the European trade, marketing and business media. Weber Shandwick also will help UMMM raise awareness of its Eurotop programme. This is a new marketing concept that regroups Uefa’s professional National Team Competitions, which offers a comprehensive four-year sponsorship programme to its partners.
UMMM COO Philippe Margraff says, “We wanted to communicate the innovative marketing and commercial programmes that we are putting into place for our next sponsorship cycle in 2006. We feel that Weber Shandwick has the sports experience, capabilities and global network to help us communicate our message to the business community, National Associations and media.”
Weber Shandwick will manage the programme from its office in Geneva and will work with UMMM to enhance its profile and the awareness of its marketing operation in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
UEFA has announced three of its six EUROTOP partners, McDonald’s, Carlsberg and JVC, and recently concluded a four-year strategic licensing agreement with Warner Bros. Consumer Products.
Weber Shandwick is also working with Uefa on a broader review of its overall communications offering to its relevant stakeholders; from the media and fans to the National Associations.
Brands
Muthoot FinCorp names Arun Kumar COO & Harjit Singh Takkar chief distribution officer
Leadership hires to boost operations and widen pan-India reach
THIRUVANANTHPURAM: Muthoot FinCorp has strengthened its top deck with the appointment of Arun Kumar B as chief operating officer and Harjit Singh Takkar as chief distribution officer, sharpening its focus on scale, speed and service as it pushes into its next phase of growth.
The flagship financial services arm of the 138-year-old Muthoot Pappachan Group, popularly known as Muthoot Blue, is expanding both muscle and mindset. With more than 3,750 branches nationwide and its digital platform, the Muthoot FinCorp ONE app, the company is betting on tighter execution and wider reach to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive lending market.
Arun Kumar B steps in with nearly two decades of experience cutting across financial services, technology transformation and customer analytics. He previously worked with CreditAccess Grameen, where he led enterprise-wide technology and data strategy initiatives and played a pivotal role during a major merger in the microfinance space. His work spanned integrating operations and products while scaling lending and non-credit offerings such as insurance and pensions.
At Muthoot FinCorp, Arun will steer operational excellence and strategic growth initiatives, aligning teams and processes to deliver sharper efficiency across the business. A gold medallist from Anna University and a postgraduate from IIM Indore, he also holds certifications in design thinking, Blue Ocean Strategy and business analytics.
Harjit Singh Takkar takes on the newly created role of chief distribution officer, reporting directly to the chief executive officer. The position is designed to energise the company’s distribution engine and bring greater governance and agility across its branch network.
Takkar brings over 28 years of retail banking experience, having held senior leadership roles at IndusInd Bank, Bandhan Bank, Yes Bank and ICICI Bank. Known for scaling branch networks and building high-performing teams, he combines distribution expertise with governance depth as a qualified company secretary with a master’s degree in finance and control.
In his new role, Takkar will oversee branch business and distribution channels, with a clear brief to expand reach, lift productivity and reinforce the company’s pan-India presence.
Commenting on the appointments, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd. chief executive officer Shaji Varghese, said the company continues to invest in leadership as it scales. “Our purpose is to improve the financial well-being of the common man. As we grow, strengthening leadership across key functions is important to ensure consistency in execution and customer experience,” he said.
With complementary strengths in operations and distribution now in place, Muthoot FinCorp appears set to move from steady expansion to sharper acceleration, backed by people, process and technology working in concert.
