Thrive Global Appoints Dr. Marcus Ranney General Manager in India

Arianna Huffington and Dr. Marcus Ranney
Arianna Huffington and Dr. Marcus Ranney

Thrive Global, the behaviour-change technology and media company founded by Arianna Huffington, has appointed Dr. Marcus Ranney as General Manager for Thrive Global in India.

Dr. Marcus is tasked with leading Thrive Global in India and will build a team including sales and marketing, editorial and partnerships to support its mission of ending the global stress and burnout epidemic. Thrive Global launched in India in January 2018 in partnership with Times Bridge, the global investments arm of The Times Group. Dr. Marcus’ focus will be partnering with companies across India eager to improve employee well-being, productivity, engagement, and retention of their employees; Thrive Global’s enterprise solutions include workshops, blended learning, e-courses, technology, behaviour-change products, organizational assessments and more. Dr. Marcus will also build and launch Thrive Global’s media platform in India.

“We spent months looking for the perfect General Manager for Thrive in India, someone who understands the enterprise space and is committed to changing the narrative of health and well-being in India-- Marcus is just that,” Thrive Global Founder and CEO Arianna Huffington said. “Marcus shares our vision for a global culture shift that places well-being at the forefront and draws on India’s unique ancient traditions to point the way to a healthier future. At a time when stress has become a global epidemic, he understands the link between well-being and performance – especially in the world of business, where there is growing evidence that the long-term health of a company’s bottom line and the health of its employees are very much aligned. His medical background, commercial experience and – most important – his passion for helping Indians reconnect with their wisdom in a hyper-connected world all make him the perfect steward of the Thrive Global brand in my favorite country on the planet.”

Dr. Marcus brings a mix of medical and business experience to his role at Thrive. Trained as a doctor at University College London, he practised clinical medicine in London before making the transition in 2011 to Mumbai, where he has since worked within the Healthcare and Life Sciences industry as a venture capitalist and strategic advisor. His most recent work has led to the creation of one of the region’s largest portfolios of digital health assets. He is an active member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers community and is a writer focused on artificial intelligence, automation and their future impact on our collective well-being. Dr. Marcus is an active outdoorsman and long distance runner, and has participated in expeditions to Mt. Everest, the Arctic Circle and the European Alps; he has also served as a medical officer in the Royal Air Force and at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.

“My life mantra has been: if we want to achieve extraordinary things, be prepared to face extraordinary challenges. I've enjoyed a career that's blended adventure with impact and joining Thrive Global represents just that," said Dr. Marcus. "Stress and burnout are significant issues in India. With 80% of my peers stressed in the workplace, Thrive Global's mission is more important than ever. I look forward to deploying our assets across India to change our relationship with technology, our companies and ultimately ourselves."

“Times Bridge’s mission is to bring the world’s best ideas to India, and Thrive Global is an idea whose time has come,” said Rishi Jaitly, CEO of Times Bridge. “Dr. Marcus’ mission-driven career and demonstrated leadership will ensure Thrive Global is able to meet the demand from companies across India eager to reimagine how they nurture their employees and use enterprise technology to advance collective well-being.” Times Bridge, the global investments arm of The Times Group, enables immersion and scale for big ideas across India. Its existing portfolio includes Airbnb, Coursera, Houzz, Mubi, Uber, Vice and others.

Thrive Global launched in the U.S. in November 2016 and in India in January 2018. As part of its India launch, Founder & CEO Arianna Huffington penned an Open Letter to India focusing on our relationship with technology. “I truly believe that, more than any other place on earth, India has the answers to what I see as the biggest question of our time: how we work and live in an age when change is exponentially faster and technology has permeated every aspect of our lives. It is my hope that India can take the lead in answering this question, not only for Indians but also for the rest of the world”. Thrive Global India celebrated its launch in January with a Twitter Townhall and a launch event hosted by Milind Deora, Pooja Shetty and Gul Panag with many of the country’s celebrities and business leaders in attendance. India is its first international expansion.

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