MUMBAI: News wire service Press Trust of India (PTI) has named Venky Venkatesh, HT Media Ltd’s chief learning officer, as its CEO.
The decision was taken in a board meeting headed by PTI chairman Hormusji N Cama.
PTI employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers all across India and puts out more than 2,000 stories and 200 photographs a day to feed its subscribers who include newspapers and TV news channels.
Venkatesh has replaced M K Razdan, PTI’s editor-in-chief and CEO, who was at the news service for 50 years. He spent ten years at HT Media Ltd, as its business head in the North and East, working closely with the editorial and business teams.
An alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Venky began his career with Hindustan Unilever Limited.
He has held senior leadership positions in sales and marketing during his 35-year career. He was associated with HUL for 26 years and was credited with crafting marketing strategies to launch brands as well as revitalise existing brand portfolios.
“He has been selected and we have made an offer to him. We hope he will take PTI’s journey forward. We have been wanting to get started on video clips and get us more digital exposure,” Cama said.
The PTI board comprises 16 members, including vice chairman Riyad Mathew, who is also the director of Malayala Manorama Company Ltd as well as Vineet Jain, the managing director of Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd, as well as other representatives from leading newspapers.