Moves and wins roundup: Week of 13 May

Reckitt appoints Kanika Kalra as new regional marketing director for Health and Nutrition

Reckitt has announced the appointment of Kanika Kalra as its regional marketing director for Health and Nutrition across South Asia. With over 20 years of marketing experience spanning multiple sectors such as personal care, beauty, and consumer technology, Kalra is well-equipped to spearhead innovative marketing strategies for Reckitt’s diverse portfolio in the region. Previously, she served as a partner at McKinsey & Company and was pivotal in leading the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts in India. Kalra is enthusiastic about her role, aiming to create impactful consumer experiences that reinforce Reckitt's commitment to health and nutrition.

DDB Mudra Group promotes Menaka Menon to lead Bengaluru office

DDB Mudra Group has promoted Menaka Menon, formerly the national strategy head, to lead its South operations in the Bengaluru office. She succeeds Ranji Cherian, who after 16 years at the helm will now focus on client excellence at the group. Rahul Mathew, chief creative officer, highlighted Menon's strategic prowess as crucial for building a creative culture and enhancing client business. Menon, with over 23 years in various sectors including advertising and strategic consulting, is set to strengthen the team and their creative output.

Oralium appoints Eggfirst as AOR

Aluminium building material brand Oralium has appointed Eggfirst as its agency of record. The integrated agency will work on adding creative prowess to the brand. The appointment followed a multi-agency pitch process, and Eggfirst will now support the expansion plans of the brand across existing and emerging markets in India.

Waaree Energies chooses Carat India as media partner

Carat India has been awarded the television media mandate for Waaree Energies Limited, a manufacturer of Solar PV Modules. As per the mandate, Carat will exclusively oversee the brand's television media across India. They will also support strategising and planning for other traditional media and buying for print, radio, and digital. Furthermore, the out-of-home (OOH) mandate will be executed by Posterscope, the OOH specialist agency from dentsu India.

Linkin Reps bags PR mandate of Aurika Hotels and Resorts

Aurika Hotels and Resorts, the upscale brand of Lemon Tree Hotels, has roped in Linkin Reps as its PR agency. Linkin Reps offers public relations services with a special focus on the hospitality vertical. The Aurika Hotels and Resorts portfolio includes Aurika, Udaipur, Aurika, Coorg, and the 669-key Aurika, Mumbai.

Burda Luxury promotes Annesha Sanyal as country director

Annesha Sanyal, who previously held the position of director of sales and brand solutions for the lifestyle sector of Burda Luxury, will now transition into the new role of country director, brand solutions & marketing. Sanyal’s role will be pivotal in guiding all sales verticals and ensuring a cohesive approach to brand partnerships, sales strategies, and marketing campaigns for Burda Luxury's Indian portfolio, which encompasses brands such as Travel + Leisure India & South Asia, Lifestyle Asia India, Architecture + Design India, and the in-flight magazine portfolio.

Public Affairs Forum of India announces new office bearers

The Public Affairs Forum of India (PAFI) has announced its new office bearers for 2024-25. The new appointments include Deepshikha Dharmaraj as president of PAFI and Chetan Krishnaswamy, vice president of public policy at Amazon India, as the new vice president. Medha Girotra, vice president of communications for Asia Pacific at Mastercard, has taken on the role of secretary, while Shivnath Thukral, director and head of public policy at Meta India, is the new treasurer.

PAFI is India’s primary platform for corporate public affairs practitioners, leading public policy initiatives for over 100 major Indian and global companies. The organization is at the forefront of driving ethical and respectful dialogue and interaction amongst stakeholders and serves as a professional resource for public affairs practitioners.

Wondrlab Network ropes in Ritika Malhotra as digital head

Martech network Wondrlab Network has announced the appointment of Ritika Malhotra as the head of digital. Malhotra brings over a decade of invaluable experience in digital advertising, having worked with renowned Indian and global brands. Her last stint was at FCB Kinnect as VP—West, where she was responsible for P&L and leading solutions for the brands managed from the region. With nine Cannes Lions under her belt, Malhotra has worked with brands such as Future Group, P&G, Google, Shiseido, Amazon, and HDFC Bank.