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Andre Nair to head MEC Asia Pacific, Ashutosh Srivastava, Vikram Sakhuja elevated
MUMBAI: Andre Nair’s stock continues to rise within the GroupM family. Nair, currently CEO of MindShare South Asia and CEO of GroupM India, is being elevated to chairman and CEO of Mediaedge:cia (MEC) (a unit of GroupM). Nair will, however, not be severing his links to India. He will continue to retain responsibility for GroupM in India as chairman.
Also moving up the corporate ladder are Ashutosh Srivastava, currently managing director Mindshare South Asia, and Vikram Sakhuja, managing director Mindshare Fulcrum South Asia. As of 1 October, which is when all these changes become effective, Srivastava takes charge as CEO Group M South Asia and Sakhuja becomes MD Mindshare South Asia, retaining his current position of MD Mindshare Fulcrum.
Commenting on his appointment in APAC, Nairs says: “After many years in the WPP Group at Ogilvy & Mather, MindShare and more recently developing GroupM in India, I am very happy to be back in a regional role. MEC has been a pioneer media agency in APAC and I look forward to build it to the next stage of development. GroupM is the largest volume player across the region and together with MEC’s unique positioning I think we have access to all ingredients to continue developing an already very successful business.
“I will miss India greatly but I am proud to leave what is now a group of successful companies (including MEC, MindShare, Fulcrum and Maxus) which employs 375 staff and is the undisputed market leader in both quality and size. I am also happy to retain a broad responsibility over GroupM in this country after having passionately built it over the last three years.
“I am fully committed to the MEC vision of becoming the first truly global practitioners of communications planning and implementation and I hope I can bring some complimentary experience, entrepreneurialism and passion to achieve this goal.”
Nair’s elevation follows the announcement by MEC that Mark Austin, CEO of MEC Asia Pacific will be taking up the role of chairman of MEC for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) working in tandem with the CEO of MEC EMEA Dominic Grainger. They will both report to the Global CEO of MEC, Mainardo de Nardis.
Until recently this newly created position was part of Mainardo’s global responsibility; Austin’s appointment will enable him to concentrate on his global role, a company release says.
Mainardo de Nardis, global CEO of MEC, said of the developments:- “We have a sensational business in EMEA which over the years has gone from strength to strength – we are at the very top in terms of ranking and operate with 2000+ people across some 43 markets. I am very happy to hand over my current EMEA responsibilities to Mark Austin and believe that working as a team with the current CEO and CFO Dominic Grainger and David Ng, who have successfully developed this region over the years, they will be an unbeatable management team.
I am also very excited to have Andre joining MEC to run APAC. I expect him to build on our successes to date with further great improvements in the future thanks to his immense experience and his unique balance between media marketing expertise and business management skills. The opportunity to move Andre from MindShare to MEC represents another key benefit of being part of GroupM.
These management changes will enable us to further enhance our offer and will be in the best interest of both our clients and our staff.
I will now have more time to dedicate to my global role alongside Charles Courtier (MEC Worldwide Executive Chairman), focusing on developing our people, our offer and ultimately our clients’ businesses, across geography.”
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
