Two senior management appointments at Vivaki!

Vivaki announced two significant appointments that are designed to create a transformational impact in its efforts to create a much bigger presence in the Indian market. Puvanan Thuraisamy- fondly called Puv ' has relocated from Vivaki Australia to take over as the India CFO, while Rashmi Deshpande has moved from Reliance Broadcasting as the Chief Talent & Transformation Officer.

Srikant Sastri, Country Chair, Vivaki said, "These are important changes as we add massive firepower to help us make a differentiated impact in the market. Introducing new-generation financial processes and becoming a magnet for talent will be key steps in enabling our agencies- Starcom Mediavest Group, Zenith Optimedia, and Solutions-Digitas ' to achieve bigger success. We are delighted to have Puv and Rashmi in our leadership team. Look forward to other significant moves in the months to come."

Puvanan Thuraisamy, Vivaki India CFO added that, "CFOs are now considered a business partner to the Chairman/CEOs as they navigate through the number of challenges they face in an evolving market. I am excited to work in a market place that is expecting phenomenal growth. VivaKi India is in a unique position to take advantage of this growth and consolidate its position as a leading player."

In his last role, Puv was Vivaki Australia Finance Director, and as part of this role, he headed the Finance division of ZenithOptimedia, Starcom Mediavest, Razorfish, and Digitas. Puv, in his career, has worked with Mediacom, Coopers and Lybrand (now PWC), and Electrolux.

During his successful tenure at Vivaki Australia, he made significant contributions to revenue, operating income, and trade working capital enhancements.

The other major appointment has been of Rashmi Deshpande as Chief Talent & Transformation Officer. On joining the Vivaki family, Rashmi commented that, "When I took this offer, I felt at ease, being on my home turf in terms of business understanding. The fun begins when you actually walk into your home to a new set of people. There lies the challenge - I believe that people management cannot be lead by the rule book and there cannot be standard HR practices for all."

Rashmi is a HR Generalist, with 23 years of experience, including at GroupM. She has lead sizable teams, partnered with business leads and aligned HR goals to the business goals. Rashmi has addressed different HR and non-HR forums and discussions, dabbled with various topics and research papers. A visiting faculty at management institutes and an active member in HR related discussions and advisories; Rashmi is also a part of the Advisory Council of the World HRD Congress.

Rashmi conducts regular soft skills trainings and her interactive workshops encapsulate case studies, role plays, simulations and fun. She has been instrumental in conducting various courses that cover HR strategy and direction, HR advisory, building the leadership muscle, facilitating change management, facilitating vision, mission and values.

Rashmi likes to combine application of contemporary and traditional HR practices in her work. She has an empathetic approach to people management, with a tilt to bring discipline along with camaraderie.