GROHE Launches 14,000‑Sq‑Ft Immersive Water Experience Centre in Bengaluru
GROHE inaugurated its largest immersive retail and experience centre in Bengaluru, spanning 14,000 sq ft and drawing more than 200 architects and designers. The venue showcases the brand’s full bathroom and kitchen portfolio and signals a push into experiential retail across India’s premium interiors market.
E.l.f. Beauty Posts 35% Q4 Revenue Surge on AI and SAP Push
e.l.f. Beauty announced Q4 FY2026 net sales of $449.3 million, up 35% year‑over‑year, as AI‑driven marketing and a SAP‑led digital overhaul accelerated global growth. The surge lifted full‑year revenue 25% to $1.76 billion, while the company flagged a slowdown in organic consumption...
Omnicom PR Names Joanne Wong APAC CEO in Major Regional Restructure
Omnicom PR announced that FleishmanHillard veteran Joanne Wong will become the new APAC CEO on July 1, taking charge of Weber Shandwick, FleishmanHillard and Golin in the region. The move is part of a broader restructuring that eliminates several senior roles and...
Meta Advantage+ Shopping Slashes DTC Email Budgets, Shifts Paid Media Spend
Meta’s Advantage+ Shopping campaigns are delivering 18‑31% lower customer‑acquisition costs for mid‑market DTC brands, leading marketers to reallocate up to 60% of prospecting spend from email to the platform. The shift reshapes budget allocations and agency compensation models.
BetMGM CMO Casey Hurbis Resigns After 18‑Month Tenure, Citing Brand Evolution
BetMGM announced that chief marketing officer Casey Hurbis is leaving after an 18‑month stint. Hurbis, who drove the “Make It Legendary” campaign and a major CRM and AI overhaul, posted a LinkedIn farewell noting the brand’s best year ever. His...
Smashburger Names Kate Savelli CMO to Drive Growth and Reach 200 Stores
Smashburger has appointed Kate Savelli, a two‑decade veteran of restaurant marketing, as chief marketing officer. The hire is part of a broader push to open 12 new units this year and bring the chain back to 200 U.S. locations. Executives...
Ford Announces Exit of Global CMO Lisa Materazzo in Major Marketing Shake‑Up
Ford confirmed that global chief marketing officer Lisa Materazzo will leave the company, triggering a broader reorganization of its marketing team. The move is positioned as part of Ford’s effort to align its brand strategy with its accelerating electric‑vehicle agenda.
Disney and Burger King Revive Star Wars Tie‑ins, Marking First Collaboration in 20+ Years
Disney and Burger King launched a co‑branded Star Wars meal on May 4, featuring souvenir cups and a Mandalorian‑themed Whopper, the first Disney‑Burger King partnership in more than 20 years. The deal underscores a broader shift among CMOs toward high‑impact, cross‑industry promotions...
Microsoft Overhauls Senior Leadership, Forms AI‑Focused Executive Team
Satya Nadella has dismantled Microsoft’s long‑standing senior leadership team and replaced it with a smaller, AI‑centric executive group. The new structure puts the CEO, President Brad Smith, CFO Amy Hood, Chief People Officer Amy Coleman and Commercial CEO Judson Althoff...
The Access Group Hires Arup Mukherjee to Lead APAC Hospitality Marketing
The Access Group announced Arup Mukherjee as Head of Marketing, Hospitality APAC. Mukherjee brings 16 years of B2B tech marketing experience to a portfolio that already serves 30,000 hospitality properties across 90 countries, positioning the firm for accelerated growth in...
Microsoft’s Yusuf Mehdi Announces ‘Final Season,’ Plans Exit in One Year
Microsoft executive Yusuf Mehdi, the company’s EVP and consumer chief marketing officer, announced Thursday that he will work for one more fiscal year before leaving the firm. He called the period his “final season,” pledging to drive Windows, Copilot and...
Constellation Brands Appoints McDonald’s CMO Morgan Flatley to Board
Constellation Brands has added McDonald’s global chief marketing officer Morgan Flatley to its board of directors, effective May 20. The move restores the board to 12 members after Bill Newlands’ retirement and signals a deeper focus on consumer‑brand expertise as...
Microsoft Consumer CMO To Leave, Hints At Changes To Windows OS
Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft’s consumer chief marketing officer, will leave after 35 years, having held the CMO role since 2023. In his farewell memo he commits to helping reimagine Windows for an "agentic" AI era and to advance the One Copilot...
Ford Names Dean Stoneley Interim CMO as Lisa Materazzo Departs
Ford Motor Co. said Lisa Materazzo will leave as global chief marketing officer on June 1, 2026, and Dean Stoneley will serve as interim CMO. The change follows Materazzo’s rollout of the “Ready, Set, Ford” brand platform and comes as the...
Razorpay Names Apuarv Sethi as New Chief Marketing Officer to Accelerate Brand Push
Razorpay has appointed Apuarv Sethi as its Chief Marketing Officer, adding a two‑decade veteran of fintech, e‑commerce and SaaS to its leadership. Sethi’s internal rise and prior stints at Flipkart signal a strategic focus on brand, growth and SME outreach...
Manulife Reshuffles Exec Team, Appoints New Canada and Hong Kong CEOs, Expands AI Leadership
Manulife unveiled a sweeping senior‑leadership reshuffle effective July 1, 2026, installing Patrick Graham as President & CEO of Manulife Canada and Wilton Kee as CEO of Manulife Hong Kong & Macau. The changes also see Jodie Wallis promoted to Chief AI Officer and Karen...
Mahindra Hires Unilever Veteran Purnima Lamba as Chief Brand Officer
Mahindra Group announced that former Unilever executive Purnima Lamba will join as chief brand officer on September 1, 2026. The 25‑year Unilever veteran will oversee corporate branding and communications across Mahindra’s diversified portfolio, signaling a push toward premium, consumer‑focused growth.
ChargePoint Hires Jyothi Swaroop as Chief Marketing and Growth Officer to Drive B2B Expansion
ChargePoint announced the appointment of Jyothi Swaroop as chief marketing and growth officer. Reporting to CEO Rick Wilmer, Swaroop will steer the company's global go‑to‑market strategy, partner monetization and new market expansion as the firm sharpens its focus on profitable...
Smashburger Appoints Kate Savelli as CMO to Accelerate Brand Growth
Smashburger has hired Kate Savelli as chief marketing officer, tasking her with overseeing brand, consumer, menu and partnership strategies. The move comes as the fast‑casual chain, owned by Jollibee Foods Corp., expands toward 12 new locations in 2026 and seeks...
King's Hawaiian Teams with Illumination for Banana‑Flavored Snack Launch
King's Hawaiian and Illumination's Minions & Monsters franchise have unveiled Shake 'Em Banana Bites, a banana‑flavored bite‑size snack that hits Kroger, Albertsons and Publix on May 20. The co‑branded product leverages a summer movie tie‑in and showcases a new brand‑extension...
Legora Hires CMO From Atlassian and BriefCatch COO From VIDAA
Legora announced the appointment of Zeynep Inanoglu Ozdemir, a former Atlassian and Palo Alto Networks CMO, to lead its U.S. expansion and brand momentum. Ozdemir previously managed a 450‑person marketing organization and helped Palo Alto’s market cap grow five‑fold. BriefCatch named...
CNN Names Former Peacock Executive Anna Frost Head of Worldwide Marketing
CNN has hired Anna Frost, a former Peacock marketing leader and CNN alum, to run its worldwide brand and growth marketing. Frost will oversee creative, brand strategy and performance marketing under a newly created structure, signaling a push to strengthen...
Legora Hires Atlassian Veteran Zeynep Inanoglu Ozdemir as Its First Chief Marketing Officer
Legora announced the appointment of Zeynep Inanoglu Ozdemir, formerly head of Atlassian's 450‑person marketing team, as its inaugural chief marketing officer. The hire underscores a $850 million‑funded effort to turn the legal‑AI platform into a household name and challenge Silicon Valley...
L’Oréal-Owned Lancôme Is Leveraging Longevity in Prestige Skin Care Under Veteran Exec Vania Lacascade
L’Oréal’s Lancôme brand introduced its first longevity‑focused skincare line, Absolue MD, on May 1, offering three age‑targeted moisturizers at $155 each. The launch is overseen by veteran executive Vania Lacascade, who moved from chief innovation officer to global brand president to execute...
Extu Elevates Brand Positioning with Ken Szpindor as Director of Marketing and Creative Services
Extu announced the promotion of Art Director Ken Szpindor to Director of Marketing and Creative Services. The move is part of CEO Nichole Gunn's strategy to strengthen the company's brand and accelerate growth in the channel‑incentive market.
DoorDash Appoints Former Amazon Exec Tim Castree as CMO to Drive Diversification
DoorDash announced that former Amazon EU Prime and Marketing VP Tim Castree has joined as chief marketing officer, replacing long‑time CMO Kofi Amoo‑Gottfried. Castree’s global brand‑building experience is aimed at expanding DoorDash’s reach into grocery, retail and other local‑commerce services.
Ford Names Dean Stoneley Interim CMO as Lisa Materazzo Departs
Ford Motor Co. said global chief marketing officer Lisa Materazzo will exit on June 1, and senior product marketing executive Dean Stoneley will step in as interim CMO. The move comes as Ford pushes its "Ford+" growth plan and the new "Ready, Set,...
Mud Pie Hires Veteran Marketer Jennifer Glover as CMO to Drive Digital and Omnichannel Growth
Gift and home‑decor brand Mud Pie announced the appointment of Jennifer Glover as chief marketing officer. Glover will oversee brand marketing, e‑commerce, customer acquisition, CRM and marketplace strategy as the company accelerates its direct‑to‑consumer and omnichannel initiatives.
Boots Drafts in Ex-John Lewis Chief for Loyalty Shake-Up
Boots UK has appointed former John Lewis executive Manish Bhagat as Customer Transformation Director to overhaul its Advantage Card loyalty programme. Bhagat joins a senior team that includes Charlotte Lock, Paula Bobbett and Steve Ager, following the departure of CMO Peter Markey. The Advantage Card, now...
Razorpay Elevates Apuarv Sethi to CMO to Accelerate SME Growth in India and Southeast Asia
Razorpay has promoted Apuarv Sethi to chief marketing officer, tasking him with driving AI‑powered marketing and SME expansion across India and Southeast Asia. The move underscores the fintech’s push to deepen brand relevance and capture a larger share of the...
Smalls Sliders Launches Loaded Fries and Hand‑Spun Shakes in Summer Campaign
Smalls Sliders introduced its first Loaded Fries and two hand‑spun dessert shakes on May 18, 2026, as part of a summer marketing push. The limited‑time items are meant to drive traffic at its 375+ “Cans” and reinforce the brand’s fast‑casual...
Ace Hardware and VFW Distribute One Million Flags in Memorial Day Campaign
Ace Hardware and the Veterans of Foreign Wars are set to distribute one million American flags on May 23, continuing an eight‑year tradition that has already delivered over 8 million flags. The initiative targets the first 240 shoppers at each participating...
Lowe’s Launches $99 10‑Foot Messi Inflatable to Ride 2026 World Cup Hype
Lowe’s introduced a $99, 10‑foot lighted inflatable of Lionel Messi as part of its “Epically More Messi” campaign, available to MyLowe’s Rewards members starting May 18. The activation aligns the home‑improvement retailer with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, aiming to boost...
Starbucks Korea CEO Fired After "Tank Day" Promo Sparks Gwangju Uprising Backlash
Shinsegae Group dismissed Starbucks Korea CEO Son Jung-hyun after a "Tank Day" tumbler promotion referenced the 1980 Gwangju military crackdown. The misstep provoked nationwide outrage, a wave of boycott calls and a 5.5% fall in E‑Mart shares, underscoring CMO‑level brand‑safety...
Ogilvy Taps Samuel Heath as Global Executive Creative Director for Unilever
Ogilvy announced that Samuel Heath will serve as Global Executive Creative Director for Unilever, bringing more than a decade of agency experience and over 100 creative awards to the partnership. The move comes as Unilever leads the 2026 WARC rankings...
Cvent Appoints Prerna Jain as Director of Product Analytics to Accelerate AI‑Driven Event Marketing
Cvent has hired Prerna Jain as Director of Product Analytics, tasking her with expanding AI‑driven insights across its event‑marketing suite. Jain brings a decade of telecom analytics and senior AI/ML leadership from Talent500, HCLTech and Builder.ai, underscoring Cvent’s push toward...
Estée Lauder Completes ‘One ELc’ Model, Taps WPP as Global Media Partner
Estée Lauder Companies announced that WPP will serve as its first global media partner, completing the rollout of the One ELc operating model. The move unlocks a unified media buying system and pushes the company toward the high end of...
Publicis Groupe Buys LiveRamp for $2.2 B to Power Agentic AI in Marketing
Publicis Groupe announced a $2.2 billion acquisition of data‑connectivity platform LiveRamp, targeting the rollout of agentic AI tools across its agency network. The deal, the largest in Publicis’s recent history, is positioned to accelerate personalized, AI‑driven client campaigns.
Razorpay Names Apuarv Sethi CMO, Adds Southeast Asia to His Portfolio
Razorpay has elevated Apuarv Sethi to chief marketing officer, tasking him with overseeing marketing and SME growth across India and Southeast Asia. The move signals a strategic push into new markets and deeper use of AI in brand building.
Shirish Agarwal Elevated as Head of Marketing, MX Business at Samsung India
Samsung India has promoted Shirish Agarwal to head of marketing for its MX (mobile experience) business. In the role, he will oversee branding and product launches for the company’s premium smartphones, tablets and wearables. Agarwal returns after a stint at...
Kenshoo Skai Debuts First Agent‑Native Marketing OS at ShopAble 2026
Kenshoo Skai announced the industry's first agent‑native marketing operating system at its ShopAble 2026 conference in San Francisco. The launch bundles a new Studio environment for AI agent squads, an upgraded Celeste commerce media agent, and a strategic advisory practice,...
Slim Chickens CMO Patrick Noone Leverages Data to Drive Guest Loyalty Across 300+ Stores
Patrick Noone, the newly appointed chief marketing officer of Slim Chickens, is using transaction data, digital behavior and advanced analytics to sharpen brand positioning and boost guest loyalty across more than 300 locations. His approach balances rapid execution with disciplined...
Affinity Interactive Appoints Chad Brown as CMO to Drive Brand Overhaul
Affinity Interactive has hired Chad Brown as chief marketing officer. Brown will steer marketing strategy and brand development for Affinity and the broader Apex Hospitality portfolio, signaling a strategic shift toward integrated customer acquisition in the gaming sector.
Constant Contact Names Megan Anderson Chief Customer Officer
Constant Contact announced that Megan Anderson will serve as its new Chief Customer Officer, a role that bridges marketing strategy and customer experience. The appointment, revealed on May 15, 2026, underscores the platform’s emphasis on integrated customer‑centric growth.
Razorpay Names Apuarv Sethi CMO to Lead AI‑Driven Growth Across India and SEA
Razorpay has promoted Apuarv Sethi from senior vice president to chief marketing officer, giving him charge of the fintech’s brand, SME growth and go‑to‑market strategy across India and Southeast Asia. The appointment underscores the company’s push to embed artificial intelligence...
OUTFRONT Media CEO Nick Brien to Address J.P. Morgan 2026 Tech, Media & Communications Conference
OUTFRONT Media Inc. announced that CEO Nick Brien will speak at the J.P. Morgan 2026 Global Technology, Media & Communications Conference on May 19. The appearance underscores OUTFRONT's push to redefine out‑of‑home advertising as an "in‑real‑life" (IRL) marketing platform for...
AI Impact Newsletter Highlights Post‑Launch AI Roadmaps for Product and Marketing Teams
Newsweek's AI Impact newsletter, authored by Adam Mills, spotlights a shift in product strategy: AI deployment is now the starting gun, not the finish line. CEOs Ken Fine, Meredith Whalen and Brian Stimpfl explain how real‑world usage data, customer‑success teams...
MySize Posts 62% Revenue Growth in Q1 2026 as AI Fashion Platform Expands
MySize, Inc. announced a 62% year‑over‑year revenue jump to $2.39 million in the first quarter of 2026, powered by its AI‑driven sizing suite and the recent integration of Percentil and ShoeSize.Me. The growth underscores the company’s strategy to blend personalization, resale...
Former Weber Shandwick CEO Jim O'Leary Takes Helm at Penta to Launch AI‑Powered Marketing Suite
Jim O'Leary, who led Weber Shandwick’s North America operations, will become global CEO of advisory firm Penta this summer. He announced plans to create an integrated suite of AI‑powered marketing products, signaling a strategic push toward AI‑centric brand solutions.
Bernard Cheng Leaves PepsiCo for Netflix Senior Director Role in SEA & Greater China
Bernard Cheng, who spent 24 years in FMCG and beverage marketing and most recently served as PepsiCo’s CMO of Asia Beverages, has accepted a senior director of marketing position at Netflix for Southeast Asia and Greater China. Based in Singapore,...