Punit Goenka to take over from Pradeep Guha as CEO of ZEEL
There is a change of guard at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. Pradeep Guha, CEO, ZEEL, is moving out of the organisation, and Punit Goenka, who is the current Network Operating Officer, is taking over as CEO. Guha and ZEEL officials have confirmed the development to exchange4media and further informed that this change takes place with immediate effect.

There is a change of guard at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd again. Pradeep Guha, CEO, ZEEL, is moving out of the organisation, and Punit Goenka, who is the current Network Operating Officer, is taking over as CEO. Guha and ZEEL officials have confirmed the development to exchange4media and further informed that this change takes place with immediate effect.
Confirming the same to exchange4media, Rajendra Sinh, Group Director – Human Resources, Essel Group, said, “ZEEL and Pradeep Guha have decided to part ways. Punit Goenka takes charge of ZEEL as CEO.”
Guha added, “I have some plans and options, but I would like to speak about them shortly.”
The industry has been rife with speculations of Guha exiting ZEEL for some time now, however, both ZEEL officials and Pradeep Guha had been denying it till today’s development. This development puts all speculations to rest now.
After a stint of almost three decades, Guha had exited the Times Group to join the Zee Group in the first quarter of 2005. In the last three years, much has happened in Zee under Guha’s leadership. From a revamp of the Group and its various channels to new initiatives like Zee’s foray into print through Diligent Media (a JV of Zee Group and Bhaskar Group) are some of the developments at the Group under Guha’s guidance.
Punit Goenka has been actively involved in all aspects of the Group. From being the head of just the flagship channel Zee TV, Goenka went on to become the Network Operating Officer in November 2007. He has actively engaged with various aspects of broadcasting, including the growth of ZEEL in the international markets. Goenka is Essel Group’s Chairman Subhash Chandra’s son.
In the last few months, Guha has been involved with other areas such as development of a digital company to the launch of an OOH company, Street Culture.
When contacted by exchange4media, company insiders on the condition of anonymity shared that Guha’s departure was in the offing for some time. One reason, as some stated, was that Guha had been occupied with his own businesses on the side. Insiders also informed that Chandra, who was away on an overseas trip to London, agreed to the advice of Corporate Human Resource Director Rajendra Sinh when he was informed of this, and the only way forward then was to bring in Goenka to take charge of ZEEL.
Goenka is expected to settle into his role easily as he has been actively involved in ZEEL and is the heir apparent, having performed the roles assigned to him in the network well in the last few months.
It would be interesting to watch Punit Goenka, the entrepreneur, lead the company in this very competitive media environment.
Also read:
Pradeep Guha launches OOH company Street Culture
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ABP Network appoints Ananta Natha Jha to lead UnCut
He has been roped in as Associate Vice-President of ABP Live
ABP Network has onboarded Ananta Natha Jha as the Associate Vice-President of ABP Live. With a rich experience in handling digital content and an in-depth understanding of video and radio content, he will take charge as the Editor of the UnCut team. Ananta Natha Jha will lead a young team of journalists who put out digital content for Gen-Z and millennials, the network said.
Jha has experience working at several reputable organisations in crucial roles. A well-recognised voice, he has donned various hats being a radio jockey, a news anchor, voiceover artist, producer, programming head, and a talk show host, stated a release.
Ananta Natha Jha will play a key role in reshaping UnCut and rechanneling focus towards the younger generation with a focus on high-quality content, the release stated.
UnCut is a Gen-Z/millennials-focused vertical of ABP Network.
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Network Advertising appoints Rahool Talukdar as Group Creative Director, Digital
Rahool previously worked at Dentsu iProspect
Network Advertising has announced the appointment of Rahool Talukdar as Group Creative Director, Digital. Rahool, previously at Dentsu iProspect, brings over 15 years of rich experience, having worked across both mainline and digital agencies.
Rahool is captivated by the digital medium and the innovative ways in which brands can connect with audiences through new media storytelling. At Network, he shares, "I resonate with the creative freedom provided by an independent venture, where transparency and clear direction foster professional growth. I am thrilled to be a part of their growth story."
During his tenure at Dentsu iProspect, Rahool led a team responsible for award-winning work on a diverse range of accounts, including State Bank of India, Essilor, Fossil Luxury Watches, Biba Apparels, Angel One, Finolex Pipes, Switzerland Tourism, ICICI Direct, and Shaze Luxury, among others.
Akashneel Dasgupta, CCO, Network Advertising, expresses enthusiasm about Rahool's addition to the team, stating, "Rahool will help shape our future as a fully integrated agency. He possesses extensive experience in nurturing young talent and guiding them towards greater accomplishments. We look forward to an exciting future and exceptional work with him on board."
Vinod Nair, Managing Director, Network Advertising, underscores the significance of digital communication for the agency, saying, "Digital Communication is a crucial element in our integrated offering to clients. Under Rahool's creative leadership, I am eager to see him add value to our clients' businesses alongside his dynamic team."
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Times Network digital head Shouneel Charles to quit after 4+ years
Sources have told e4m that Charles is currently serving his notice period
In his previous assignment, Charles was leading the digital business at NDTV Convergence as Chief Sales & Marketing Officer and Chief Revenue Officer. He has also worked with multinational companies like Yahoo, Turner Broadcasting, Star India and National Geographic where he launched multiple channels and media properties.
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CNBC’s Latha Venkatesh to “transition” out of daily anchoring schedule
Venkatesh is taking the ‘break’ from August 1 to plan son’s wedding
Latha Venkatesh, Executive Editor with CNBC-TV18, will be “transitioning” out of the daily anchoring schedule and play much more of a supervisory role.” The arrangement will come into effect on August 1.
Venkatesh will continue to be the Executive Editor, and “only take a break from the daily activities.” She will be taking the break to plan her son’s wedding.
“Latha mam has kept the fire burning for almost two decades. She has brought her heart to work every day. Never once complained about the long hours, the stress, the pressure, because she loves what she does with a passion that is undeniable. As is the case with her, she doesn’t do anything half-heartedly and so as she gets ready to plan a BIG FAT INDIAN WEDDING for her son, she is keen to free up her time and mind space to focus on a wonderful life altering moment,” read an internal communication at CNBC accessed by exchange4media.
“She will continue to do her special shows and come in to do links/interviews etc even on daily shows as necessary and appropriate. But from Aug 1, she will not be anchoring Bazaar as a regular feature or fixing the show etc,” the read the communication.
Sonal Bhutra will take over from Venkatesh.
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OMD India ropes in Udhayakumar Pasupathi to lead Chennai office
Pasupathi has spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore...
OMD India has onboarded Udhayakumar Pasupathi as new Lead at the company’s Chennai office, reporting to Sulina Menon, Chief Client Officer, OMD India.
“Udhaya is an MBA graduate in marketing and joins with 12 years of diverse and prolific industry experience. He spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore. Udhay has also worked with Lodestar UM, and has worn multiple hats as a planner, team lead, strategist, and media consultant. His roles have pivoted around providing integrated strategic solutions to brands, including marquee names such as Max Fashion, Lifestyle, Home Centre and Eenadu, among many others,” the agency said.
Commenting on the new appointment, Sulina Menon said, “We’re extremely pleased to have someone like Udhaya, with his experience and expertise, join our Chennai team, and are confident that we will benefit greatly from the insights he brings to the table. I’m especially excited about the growth journey ahead and look forward to collectively pursuing a host of new opportunities.”
Priti Murthy, CEO OMD India welcomed Udhaya Pasupathi on board saying, “All of us at OMD are eagerly looking forward to Udhaya’s fresh new perspectives combined with the rich repertoire of industry knowledge he’s gathered over the years. There are some exciting growth avenues ahead, and we can’t wait to unlock them together.”
Speaking about this new step in his career, Udhaya Pasupathi reflected, “It’s been over a decade of experience, learnings and leadership in the realm of media strategy & planning, and surely there’s no better place to mark 12 years than OMD. With its vast global network and its growth-driven environment, I’m delighted to be in a space where together we quite literally make better decisions, faster!”
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OMD India ropes in Udhayakumar Pasupathi to lead Chennai office
Pasupathi has spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore
OMD India has onboarded Udhayakumar Pasupathi as new Lead at the company’s Chennai office, reporting to Sulina Menon, Chief Client Officer, OMD India.
“Udhaya is an MBA graduate in marketing and joins with 12 years of diverse and prolific industry experience. He spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore. Udhay has also worked with Lodestar UM, and has worn multiple hats as a planner, team lead, strategist, and media consultant. His roles have pivoted around providing integrated strategic solutions to brands, including marquee names such as Max Fashion, Lifestyle, Home Centre and Eenadu, among many others,” the agency said.
Commenting on the new appointment, Sulina Menon said, “We’re extremely pleased to have someone like Udhaya, with his experience and expertise, join our Chennai team, and are confident that we will benefit greatly from the insights he brings to the table. I’m especially excited about the growth journey ahead and look forward to collectively pursuing a host of new opportunities.”
Priti Murthy, CEO OMD India welcomed Udhaya Pasupathi on board saying, “All of us at OMD are eagerly looking forward to Udhaya’s fresh new perspectives combined with the rich repertoire of industry knowledge he’s gathered over the years. There are some exciting growth avenues ahead, and we can’t wait to unlock them together.”
Speaking about this new step in his career, Udhaya Pasupathi reflected, “It’s been over a decade of experience, learnings and leadership in the realm of media strategy & planning, and surely there’s no better place to mark 12 years than OMD. With its vast global network and its growth-driven environment, I’m delighted to be in a space where together we quite literally make better decisions, faster!”
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OMD India ropes in Udhayakumar Pasupathi to lead Chennai office
Pasupathi has spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore
OMD India has onboarded Udhayakumar Pasupathi as new Lead at the company’s Chennai office, reporting to Sulina Menon, Chief Client Officer, OMD India.
“Udhaya is an MBA graduate in marketing and joins with 12 years of diverse and prolific industry experience. He spent the last 9 years at Mindshare where his most recent role was that of cluster lead in Bangalore. Udhay has also worked with Lodestar UM, and has worn multiple hats as a planner, team lead, strategist, and media consultant. His roles have pivoted around providing integrated strategic solutions to brands, including marquee names such as Max Fashion, Lifestyle, Home Centre and Eenadu, among many others,” the agency said.
Commenting on the new appointment, Sulina Menon said, “We’re extremely pleased to have someone like Udhaya, with his experience and expertise, join our Chennai team, and are confident that we will benefit greatly from the insights he brings to the table. I’m especially excited about the growth journey ahead and look forward to collectively pursuing a host of new opportunities.”
Priti Murthy, CEO OMD India welcomed Udhaya Pasupathi on board saying, “All of us at OMD are eagerly looking forward to Udhaya’s fresh new perspectives combined with the rich repertoire of industry knowledge he’s gathered over the years. There are some exciting growth avenues ahead, and we can’t wait to unlock them together.”
Speaking about this new step in his career, Udhaya Pasupathi reflected, “It’s been over a decade of experience, learnings and leadership in the realm of media strategy & planning, and surely there’s no better place to mark 12 years than OMD. With its vast global network and its growth-driven environment, I’m delighted to be in a space where together we quite literally make better decisions, faster!”
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