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Shradha Sharma’s YourStory Media ropes in former Microsoft ace Sangeeta Bavi as COO
MUMBAI: This is indeed a big catch. Digital influencer and YourStory Media founder & CEO Shradha Sharma has hired former Microsoft executive director, digital natives Sangeeta Bavi as the company’s chief operating officer (COO).
As COO, Shradha shared on linkedin, Sangeeta will oversee the end-to-end business, drive revenue growth and overall operations as the company prepares for its next phase of expansion.
“With two and a half decades of experience across global giants like Microsoft and Nokia, Sangeeta has loads of expertise in building high-impact teams and driving scale. In her decade of experience at Microsoft, she spearheaded the digital natives vertical, building it from the ground up and establishing it as a leading growth engine for engaging India’s top digital-scale startups. Her leadership was instrumental in scaling the vertical into a trusted ecosystem partner for startups and a valued business vertical at Microsoft,” Shradha shared.
“Sangeeta has also been a mentor to several startups, and has played an active volunteer role in Saasboomi community.”
A B. Tech in computer science and an MBA from IIM Bangalore, Sangeeta began her career at Wipro Technologies as a senior design engineer where she worked for three years. She was then picked up by Nokia to work in the capacity of senior software engineer at Tampere in Finland where she did some cutting edge development work for the mobile maker.
That done, Sangeeta then whizzed back to India and continued with the Finnish company for a decade and a half being exposed to various functions like leading teams, doing R&D, managing strategic projects, managing products and when she exited Nokia for Microsoft India she was designated as head developer outreach.
At Microsoft India, Sangeeta began as a product marketing manager in 2014 and moved into the company’s India president’s office as chief of staff and busines manager. From there, she was given the responsibility of working with startups at their early stages as director of Microsoft Indias start up business. Leadership of the digital natives vertical followed.
Shradha is cock-a-hoop with delight at Sangeeta’s coming on board as YourStory Media COO. Said Shraddha: “For any entrepreneur, their journey gets strengthened when a leader comes along the way, sees the vision and commits to be with you to scale and transform the dream you’ve built and lived.. And I am grateful to have someone as brilliant as Sangeeta Bavi join me on this journey of YourStory.”
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
