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Top-level changes at Shop CJ; CEO Kenny Shin to head back to Korea
MUMBAI: Home shopping ain’t an easy business. Definitely not in India. Ask Shop CJ CEO Kenny Shin. The South Korean is slated to catch a flight back to his home country very soon after serving four years and one month at the joint venture between the South Korean home shopping major CJ O Shopping and P5 Asia Holding Investments (Mauritius) Ltd (which belongs to the Providence Equity Partners group).
Shin calls his movement back to South Korea a routine transfer. “This is something which happens with our South Korean parent,” he told indiantelevision.com late on the night of 11 March. “We are rotated around in our various operations world wide.”
A source, however, had informed indiantelevision.com earlier in the day that Shin was actually shown the door by the company’s board. Along with him, the company CFO Ramakrishnan N was also asked to quit.
“After reviewing last year’s performance during its board meeting today, the company has decided to sack two senior officials for having a non-performing year,” the source told us. “Its performance has fallen 32 per cent compared to last year.”
However, Shin repeatedly denied that anyone was being booted out. “It is a routine transfer, that is all it is. No decision has been taken about our CFO as yet,” he stated. “We will be issuing an official statement tomorrow.”
Indiantelevision.com, however, managed to get hold of the official communication circulated to Shop CJ employees which has something else to say: “Mr. N. Ramakrishnan (Ram) has decided to step down as CFO of the Company to pursue other interests. While as CFO, Ram helped the Company establish effective financial systems and controls, and we thank him for his leadership and contribution to the Company, and wish him the best in his future endeavors. The Board has initiated a search to fill the role of CFO for ShopCJ. The changes above are effective immediately.”
Shin joined the company in February 2012, from CJ O Shopping, the Korean conglomerate, where he was in a key leadership role, having been with the company since 2002.
Company officials, however, reached out to indiantelevision.com once again in late May 2016 insisting that there was no sacking at all in March. A senior official stated that Ramakrishnan’s departure was entirely his decision and Shin’s return to South Korea was simply routine in the larger scheme of CJ O Shopping’s management initiatives.
Shop CJ was earlier a joint venture between CJ and broadcast giant Star India. The latter moved out of the partnership and from the home shopping business and in 2015 the channel was re-branded as Shop CJ.
(Earlier posted on 11 March 2016 at 7:43; updated at 11:50 pm; updated on 31 May 2016 at 12:43 am)
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.
