Mumbai India
Architect with over two decades of cross industry experience in Retail, Industrial & Residential Projects. Expertise in all aspects of store design from planning to execution, project management, façade design and Phygital engagements . Currently associated with Fabindia Limited and responsible for its Pan India and international store expansion.
EJ Middelhoven, originally Dutch, has been with IKEA for the past 17 years, working in over 6 countries across the world. Establishing new markets such as Thailand and India as well as developing new store formats in Austria, Malaysia, Belgium and the Netherlands. EJ has been in India since 2020 and is, as the Home Furnishing and Retail Design Manager, responsible for the Omni channel customer experience. He strongly believes that the retail experience needs to be exciting and unique as well as easy and convenient.
Bijou Kurien has almost four decades of experience in the Indian Consumer & Retail industry. After his initial stint with Hindustan Unilever Ltd., he was part of the start-up team that set up Titan Industries Ltd., and when he left in April 2006 after a glorious stint of 19 years, he was the COO of Titan. He then joined Reliance Industries as President & CE of their ambitious retail foray – Reliance Retail and helped build it as India’s largest retailer. Today, he is the Chairman of the Retailers Association of India, an Advisor to two leading PE Funds, and an Independent Director on the Boards of several listed and unlisted Retail, Consumer, Infrastructure and Technology companies.
Mr. Chitrangad is currently spearheading Visual Merchandising for Bluestone, something that has driven him over the past decade for an array of lifestyle brands.
Previously, at Pepperfry, he led store openings and helped expand 130+ studios within a span of one year. He was also responsible for inventory selection and display for all locations.
At Nykaa, he introduced planogramming for all categories and led brand launches at the retail doors- Huda Beauty, Dot & Key, Nykaa Naturals, Farsali etc. Worked on creating fixtures and space management for Nykaa OnTrend to display additional brands and increase market share.
At Fila, he managed new retail designs and execution along with creating VM guidelines for the brand. He also designed events and product launches.
Mr Chitrangad started out with Hamleys, managing various regions and elevating the customer experience. He learnt about brand partnerships and create larger than life window displays. He also worked on multiple mall display designs and also India’s first interactive window for Toys.
Outside of work, he spend time playing Chess.
An Architect and Project Management Professional, Heading the design and execution function - Madura Fashion and Lifestyle since last 15 yrs. Awardee of "Exceptional Leader" at group level, successfully rolled out more than 5000 stores across India, Middle East and SAARC countries. Executed high end retail Brands like Ralph Lauren, Ted Baker, Fred Perry, The collective, American Eagle, Simon Carter etc, led the rapid expansion in small town India for Louis Phillip, Van Heusen, Allen Solly, F 21, Reebok and Peter England Brands.
After completion of Engineering Degree, jointed Titan as an Engineer Trainee during 1986 (at the time of Inception of the Company) and continuing with Titan for 37 years.
During this tenure, had played several roles
- Started the career in Projects department responsible for buying Capital items for Watch Plant - Moved as Projects & Maintenance Head for Jewellery Plant when the Company Diversified into Jewellery Manufacturing - During the Journey at Jewellery Division, handled various Roles such as :
- Central Planning - Purchase (including Bullion / Diamonds) - Studded Jewellery Production
- Project Head - ERP Implementation for Jewellery Division - Head – Integrated Supply Chain Management - Then Moved as Head for “Goldplus” Jewellery Brand, which was conceived for Mass Market especially for Tier 3, Tier 4 Towns
Currently handling Retail Network Expansion for All the Brands of Titan for the past 8 years.
The no of Retail store projects (including New store, Relocations and Renovations) is currently more 2 projects per day.
A Bangalore university graduate in fashion and apparel design with an internship in Milan hosted by IED Moda lab.
Seasoned customer experience professional with 18 years of experience in customer delight through visual merchandising and now retail design with Tata motors as the Head of retail – Visual merchandising Sales and after service.
Prior to auto, have spent 12 years with Jack and Jones as the head of VM. Prior to that have worked as VM in a regional capacity for Lerros, UCB and Zodiac.
A registered writer with the Writers guild of America.
Architect & Retail Designer Sanjay Agarwal has been associated with the Indian Retail industry since 1997. Mr. Agarwal is an alumni of CEPT, Domus Academy, Milan and a fellow at CSIS, Penn University, Philadelphia. His wide network with international design fraternity, and experience in end to end service for retail design strategy and projects, led him to co-found FRDC in 2007. The award-winning design agency has now grown to become a recognised global retail brand strategy and design firm with works in India and abroad.
Mr. Agarwal is on the panel of Thesis Guide, Visiting Faculty and Jury at CEPT and IIT Roorkee apart from presenting white papers, blogs and talks on various professional design seminars, Retail walk tours in India and abroad. His knowledge and entrepreneurial insights into the consumer are integrated into conceptual development and strategic image positioning for retail operators, manufacturers and brand marketers. Sanjay's work has been recognised by leading publications including VMSD, POOL magazine, Images Retail, YourStory and VM&RD. He has been featured in MGS Architecture magazine as the 'Changing Face of Indian Architecture'.
FRDC with its emphasis on Research led and Human Centred Design has built its reputation by assisting retailers and brands in realizing their full potential through a unique and compelling customer experience with cultural context. FRDC works internationally in strategic partnership with JGA, Detroit with responsibilities that include client liaison and project strategy.
Rakesh is the Sr. Vice President at Ecofirst. He is a transformational Leader, a Team Mentor and a Sustainability Evangelist. A Mechanical Engineer with MBA, he is also an IGBC Fellow, LEED AP BD + C, GRIHA Trainer & Evaluator and RESET AP.
Rakesh has 23 years+ experience in leading High Performance multi-disciplinary teams in design and delivery of Multiple assets across the Built Environment and has worked on more than 100 projects. His areas of expertise include Energy efficiency in existing and HERITAGE Buildings, Design and evaluation of low cooling technologies like Radiant cooling, Ground source Geo Thermal and allied, Technology selection for high performance buildings, Program Management for Multi Asset Clients, Designing strategies for IOT based Smart Technologies for M&V leading to Analytics and Insights delivering outlier performance in Buildings, Thought Leadership in the field of Net Zero , Health & Wellness in Buildings and Renewable Energy, Technical Due Diligence for Strategic Asset Valuation for Private Equity REIT Funds . He has experience in Training and mentoring Architectural and Engineering Institutes through Industry Academia Interactions in the field of Sustainability, Energy ,High Performance Buildings and is a speaker par excellence at Public Events, Conferences, etc.
Outside work he is an active sports enthusiast with squash, cycling and outdoor running as his major passions. He is also a good mentor and a great motivator.
Vishal is a Chartered Accountant by qualification and a retailer my accident.
Until he was smitten by the retail bug, Vishal was a Merchant Banker with a leading merchant banking company, but retail took over in the year 2000 and then there is not looked back.
I'm a PMP certified Project Manager with over 18 years of experience in the retail industry. Throughout my career, I have gained expertise in various sectors including Retail, CDIT, Electronics, F&B, and Construction. Working with renowned brands in the country, I have been recognized as one of the “Top retail minds in Asia by the Asia Retail Congress in February 2023”. Additionally, I have achieved the prestigious Guinness World Record twice for my exceptional contributions to key retail marketing campaigns in 2020 and 2021. Largest number of exclusive store roll outs in the country in a short span of time, Various accolades for store design and sustainable design and construction. Currently, I hold a leadership position at Xiaomi India, overseeing store design and construction, as well as driving retail marketing operations and visual merchandising for Xiaomi in India.
Jaydeep is a Retail and Media Specialist who has been on founding CXO teams of Shoppers Stop, BBC Worldwide India, Inox and Future Group and led their business journeys. He currently is Consulting Partner with GreenHonchos Solutions Pvt Ltd, India's leading D2C enabler and also Managing Partner, Color Sports I Pvt Ltd, a licensing sports equipment company.
Rohit is a seasoned business leader with over 20 years of experience in leading and transforming businesses. He currently is the Director of Solutions & Services at Lenovo India, where he oversees the organization's Services Led Transformation agenda. Prior to this, he served as the Director of Relationship Business, responsible for Lenovo's Intelligent devices and Infrastructure business for the commercial segment.
Rohit joined Lenovo in 2013 as the Regional General Manager for the Consumer business and subsequently set up Lenovo's Tablet Business. During his three-year tenure as the Director of Tablet Business, he successfully transformed the business and established Tablets as the number one brand in India. Before joining Lenovo, Rohit held senior leadership positions at Bharti Airtel and BPL Mobile Communications Limited.
Rohit holds a Post Graduate degree in Marketing Management and a Bachelor's degree in Electronics & Telecommunications from Mumbai University. Outside of work, Rohit enjoys swimming, playing badminton, and participating in other outdoor activities. He is also a passionate follower of motorsports and has actively participated in many motorsport events in the country.
Ms. Prajakta Ramteke, an MBA in Marketing from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies - Mumbai, has spent over 9 years in the Pulp & Paper Industry with stints in Marketing, International Sales and Sustainability.
In her current role, Prajakta heads the Marketing Communication vertical for ITC’s Paperboards & Specialty Papers Division, based out of Hyderabad. She also drives key Sustainability Initiatives of the Business.
Mansa Jain is a highly skilled professional in the field of visual merchandising and styling, currently serving as the team lead for Visual Merchandise at Kama Ayurveda. With a strong educational background and diverse experience in the fashion industry, she has successfully contributed to the growth and success of Kama Ayurveda's retail presence.
Mansa completed her Bachelor's degree in Fashion Communication from the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), New Delhi in the years 2009 to 2013. This foundation provided her with a solid understanding of the fashion industry and honed her skills in effective communication and creative design.
Following her graduation, Mansa embarked on her professional journey at Vivek Sahni Design, where she worked as an event designer and management professional from 2013 to 2015. This experience allowed her to develop a keen eye for detail, coordination, and an ability to create immersive experiences for clients and customers.
Recognizing her passion for visual merchandising and styling, Mansa transitioned into a consultant role from 2015 to 2018. During this period, she collaborated with various brands and worked on numerous photoshoots, utilizing her expertise to create visually appealing and marketable displays.
In 2018, Mansa joined Kama Ayurveda, an esteemed Indian beauty and wellness brand and established the team of Visual Merchandising. With her extensive knowledge of visual merchandising and her creative vision, she played a pivotal role in establishing the brand's retail presence and enhancing the overall shopping experience for customers.
Currently, the brand boasts 64 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) and 70 shop-in-shop locations. Her ability to create captivating visual displays, combined with her strategic approach to merchandise placement and brand storytelling, has contributed significantly to the success and growth of Kama Ayurveda.
Mansa Jain continues to be a driving force in the field of visual merchandise, consistently innovating and staying ahead of industry trends. Her passion for creating visually compelling retail experiences, coupled with her strong aesthetic sense and dedication to excellence, make her an invaluable asset to Kama Ayurveda.
Vishal is a business manager with excellent conceptual, analytical and leadership skills with more than a decade combined experience in business development & servicing for segments such as retail experience, shopper marketing, corporate communication & branding, product launch, events & identity.
His experience includes managing clients across categories to name a few ITC, P&G, Domino’s, Tata Motors, Tata Communication, ICICI Bank, Zee Entertainment, Raymond’s, Indian Oil, Reliance, Jubilant Group, Shoppers Stop.
Priyanka is a strategist and client manager with experience in brand, packaging, and experience design. She has worked closely with consumer brands - Gillette, Pampers, Dell, Tata Cliq and Tata Motors, among others.
Her focus is on unlocking brand-led experience through effective physical spaces supplemented by thoughtful service design.
An Architect by profession with over 25 years of experience in the Experience Design and Build Management in Retail, Hospitality, Commercial & Residential projects.
Worked with over 200, Corporate and Regional, Retailers and Brands in India and 6 countries overseas. He is also a director at a leading retail fixture manufacturing company, Space Design, that serves over 100 companies in India and overseas. He is a visiting faculty at top architecture schools and holds the position of Executive Committee Member at the Indian Institute of Architects, Karnataka Chapter.
A Mechanical Engineer by profession with a astute leaning & passion towards Research & Development, Heads product development at Space Design.
A second generation entrepreneur & his domain expertise on engineering, brings in a fresh & out of the box perspective to any new development & technical approach.
He has been instrumental in upgradation of Space Design with new technological approach & new initiatives of product development from last 5 years.
Piyush Bhandari is the Co-founder of JUMPINGGOOSE®, an experiential award-winning strategic design and creative agency. He is amongst one of the finest pedigree of design thinkers in the country, committed to creating triumphant brands.
Rising from the culturally opulent lands of Rajasthan, Piyush is a quirky live wire who excels in strategic design thinking, conceptual storytelling, brand building and has a natural flair for creative writing.
He has several awards and accolades to his name - like the Koshland Awards, USA, the Asia-Pacific Design Awards, the Rising Star Awards 2011, and more to his credit.
He loves traveling, dancing and has a great appetite for visuals & stories.
I am an Architect by education and a retail design professional. I have almost two decades of experience in the field of retail design across various organizations. My primary field of expertise is Fashion Retail, spanning the landscape of Denim wear, Premium Formals and Sports fashion. After graduating from SPA, New Delhi I started with the creative field of advertising, moving to 3D conceptualization, retail fixture design and manufacturing to finally managing store design and retail expansion for brands.
I am currently holding a leadership position with adidas India, overseeing store design, planning, construction and project management. Levi Strauss & Co, Aditya Birla fashion & lifestyle are where I have practiced my trade in the past. I am passionate about converting ideas into implementable solutions that can be rolled out with speed and accuracy.
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