MAM
WPP appoints Cindy Rose as non-executive director
MUMBAI: WPP has announced the appointment of Cindy Rose to its board as a non-executive director. She has been working as the Microsoft UK CEO. Her appointment will be effective from 1 April 2019 and she will serve as a member of the Audit Committee.
Rose became Microsoft UK CEO in 2016, with responsibility for all of Microsoft’s product, service and support offerings across the United Kingdom, continuing the company’s transformation into the leading productivity and platform company for the mobile-first, cloud-first era. Prior to joining Microsoft, Rose was managing director of the UK consumer division at Vodafone where she led the expansion of its retail store estate from 350 to over 500 stores.
Before Vodafone, she was executive director of Digital Entertainment at Virgin Media where she was responsible for the launch of the company’s next generation pay TV platform powered by TiVo. Rose spent 15 years at The Walt Disney Company where she held a variety of roles including SVP and managing director of the Disney Interactive Media Group EMEA. In 2013, she joined the board of Informa, a FTSE 100 academic publishing and events company, as an independent non-executive director.
Commenting on the appointment, WPP chairman Roberto Quarta said, “Cindy is one of the most admired and respected figures in the technology industry, and we are delighted to welcome her to the WPP board. Her deep understanding of the role of technology in business transformation will be invaluable as the executive team implements its new strategy for growth.”
Cindy Rose said, “WPP has set out a bold new vision for its future as a creative transformation company, with a commitment to invest in talent, technology and culture. I look forward to supporting the team and making a contribution at such an exciting and important moment in the company’s development.”
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Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
