iWorld
Shemaroo makes key hires to boost business
MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment is all set to strengthen its leadership team with appointments in new products and digital marketing.
Vaibhav Goyal has been appointed as general manager, head of products in new media & technologies and Omprakash Singh joins as digital marketing lead. The appointments are Mumbai-based and are expected to help drive the company’s growth in its new transitional phase.
Commenting on the recent hires, Shemaroo Entertainment director Hiren Gada said, “It is an exciting time for us at Shemaroo and we are pleased to have Om and Vaibhav on board. In line with our accelerated growth plans, we have hand-picked all the three experts from some of the best organisations in the media and entertainment space. We look forward to scale our brand and offerings with the new hires.”
Vaibhav Goyal has over 13 years of experience in media & entertainment and telecom. An alumnus of IIT Madras, he joins from Reliance Jio, where he was a senior product manager working on JioTV. In the past, he has worked with Hungama, Nokia and TCS. At Shemaroo, he will lead the digital products development and strategy.
Omprakash Singh has 11 years of experience and joins from Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, where he was the digital business head on Renault India. A bachelor of computer application, Singhalso co-founded a creative digital start-up Tiki Tech and was part of it for over five years before he moved to Everymedia Technologies. At Shemaroo he will be heading all the digital marketing initiatives.
iWorld
Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square makes $64 billion bid to acquire Universal Music Group
Ackman pitches NYSE relisting plan as UMG board weighs unsolicited offer
The hedge fund has proposed a business combination that values UMG at €30.40 per share, representing a hefty 78 per cent premium to its current trading price. The offer includes €9.4 billion in cash alongside stock in a newly formed entity, with shareholders set to receive €5.05 per share in cash and 0.77 shares in the new company for each UMG share they hold.
Under the proposal, UMG would merge with Pershing Square SPARC Holdings Ltd and re-emerge as a Nevada-based entity listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The move is designed to boost investor visibility and potentially secure inclusion in major indices such as the S&P 500.
Pershing Square Capital Management ceo Bill Ackman argued that while UMG’s operational performance remains strong, its market valuation has lagged due to external factors. “UMG’s stock price has languished due to a combination of issues that are unrelated to the performance of its music business,” Ackman said, pointing to concerns ranging from shareholder overhang to delayed US listing plans.
Ackman also flagged what he sees as untapped potential in UMG’s balance sheet and a lack of clear capital allocation strategy. He added that the market has not fully recognised the value of UMG’s €2.7 billion stake in Spotify, alongside gaps in investor communication.
The proposed transaction would also result in the cancellation of around 17 per cent of UMG’s outstanding shares, while maintaining its investment-grade balance sheet. Pershing Square has said it will fully backstop the equity financing, with debt commitments secured at signing. The deal is targeted for completion by the end of the year.
UMG, however, has struck a measured tone. The company confirmed that its board has received the non-binding proposal and will review it with advisers. It reiterated confidence in its current strategy and leadership under Lucian Grainge, signalling no immediate shift in stance.
The proposal comes at a time when global music companies are navigating evolving investor expectations, streaming economics and capital allocation pressures. For Pershing Square, the bet is clear: sharpen the financial story, relist in the US, and let the music play louder in the markets.
Whether UMG’s board is ready to change the tune remains to be seen, but the spotlight on its valuation just got a lot brighter.
