MAM
Weber Shandwick takes full ownership of India operation
NEW DELHI: Weber Shandwick, part of the Interpublic Group, has reached an agreement with majority equity holder MAA Group Holdings to up the firm’s previous 40 per cent equity share of multi-award winning agency Corporate Voice | Weber Shandwick (CVWS), to 100 per cent. CVWS has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata.
MAA Group Holdings Chairman Bunty Peerbhoy will continue in his role as chairman of CVWS. Atul Ahluwalia and Dilip Yadav also will continue in their roles as president and executive vice president, respectively. Ahluwalia will report directly to Tim Sutton, chairman Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific.
CVWS‘ campaigns have been recognised three times by Cannes PR Lion Silver awards. The team was named 2011 India Consultancy of the Year by The Holmes Report, and has been honoured at the prestigious APAC SABRE Awards three out of the past four years.
Weber Shandwick CEO Andy Polansky said, “I am delighted to welcome CVWS into full membership of the wider Weber Shandwick family. For the past 16 years, Weber Shandwick and CVWS have built a close relationship that has benefitted clients across industry sectors. We have always considered Bunty Peerbhoy to be a valuable partner and supporter of building important capabilities, and we are very pleased that he will continue to serve as our chairman in India.We see great growth potential for the business in the years ahead.”
Bunty Peerbhoy, commented: “We have always believed in a deep long-term relationship with Weber Shandwick. Both parties have always been hugely committed to each other and it is that trust and friendship which makes this feel like such a right and natural step.I am delighted to be able to continue supporting both the business and our wonderful staff who make our business so special.”
Weber Shandwick’s network spans 73 owned offices in 31 countries and affiliates and partners that expand the network to 126 offices in 81 countries. Weber Shandwick operates in virtually every major media, government and business center on six continents.
MAM
Gurpreet Singh named President of DishTV Alumni Network
Former Dish TV executive to lead community building and collaboration.
MUMBAI: Back to the dish, but this time it’s about connections, not channels Gurpreet Singh is returning to familiar territory with a new mandate that swaps subscribers for relationships. Singh has been appointed President of the DishTV Alumni Network, a move aimed at strengthening ties among former employees and building a more engaged professional community around the Dish TV ecosystem. The initiative reflects a growing trend among large organisations to formalise alumni networks as platforms for collaboration, mentorship and business opportunities.
The appointment draws on Singh’s deep-rooted history with Dish TV, where he held multiple leadership roles over nearly a decade. As National Business Head between June 2019 and September 2020, he oversaw profit and loss as well as operations, managing revenues of Rs 6,000 crore and leading a team of around 1,250 employees across the country. His tenure included working alongside two regional business heads and 16 circle heads, underscoring the scale of operations he handled.
Prior to that, Singh served as Executive Vice President and National Head for Sales and Revenue from 2016 to 2019, and earlier as Senior Vice President and National Head for Sales and Revenue. He also briefly led international operations as Country Head for Sri Lanka, further expanding his exposure across markets.
His broader career spans leadership roles across telecom and consumer businesses, including a stint as Chief Operating Officer at Bharti Airtel’s Malawi operations, senior leadership roles at Reliance Communications, and earlier positions at Hindustan Sanitaryware and Kodak India, where he spent over a decade.
In his new role, Singh is expected to focus on reconnecting former employees, fostering collaboration, and building a structured alumni ecosystem that leverages shared experience and industry networks. As companies increasingly recognise the long-term value of their extended workforce, the DishTV Alumni Network appears set to turn nostalgia into a strategic asset, one connection at a time.
