MUMBAI: Viacom18, today, announced the appointment of Gourav Rakshit as COO – Viacom18 Digital Ventures. He will be joining the organization in May 2019, and will be reporting to Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO & MD, Viacom18. 

“Our digital foray has grown exponentially since its inception 3 years back, with the sharply segmented businesses – the ad led model, the international business and the soon-to-be-launched subscription based VOOT Kids service”, said Sudhanshu Vats, Group CEO & MD, Viacom18. Adding further he said, “As we unlock business value, Gourav, with an in-depth understanding of digital disruption and a proven track-record of envisioning subscription growth, is the right person to lead our talented teams across the Digital Ventures portfolio.”

A University of Rochester and IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Gourav is currently serving as the President and CEO of People Group that owns and operates Shaadi.com. Over the course of 11 years at Shaadi.com, he has been instrumental in building one of India’s most iconic brands and a robust consumer subscription play, while delivering one of the few profitable P&Ls in the Indian internet ecosystem.

With over 2 decades of experience in Consumer Technology, IT and FMCG sectors, Gourav started his career with Nestle and took two more stops – Planetasia and Infosys Consulting - before joining People Group. At Planetasia, he had his first brush with the media & tech industry, and at Infosys he successfully led consulting engagements for diverse consumer organizations including Apple, Wells Fargo and Safeway.