McDonald's appoints Sagar Kargutkar as Director - Marketing and Communications

Kargutkar joins McDonald's from The Times of India group where he was national lead, marketing for TOI's metro supplements.

In a recent announcement, Hardcastle Restaurants, a subsidiary of Westlife Development and master franchise of McDonald’s restaurants in West and South India, has appointed Sagar Kargutkar as director, marketing and communications.

Sagar KargutkarKargutkar joins McDonald's from The Times of India group where in his last assignment was national lead, marketing for Times of India’s metro supplements where he has spent over 12 years during which he was responsible for the financial health and marketing of the newspaper, its properties and supplements. He was a key member of a team that conceptualised and creatively executed high profile brand initiatives like Lead India, Teach India, Aman Ki Asha and steered Bombay Times towards becoming the most profitable publication within the Times group.

Seema Arora NambiarPrior to his brand - related role at Times of India, he was instrumental in setting up the group’s foray in the ‘out of home’ business. Kargutkar started his career with Mid-Day Multimedia where he was part of their advertising sales team.

Kargutkar has been a marketing and business professional for about 18 years. An alumnus of Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, he is a strategic marketing leader with an expertise in consumer marketing and P&L management. In his current role at McDonald’s, he will be responsible for marketing communications strategy, digital marketing, product innovation and will work closely with the executive team to take McDonald’s brand in India to the next level.

Commenting on his appointment, Seema Arora Nambiar, senior vice president – strategy, innovation and capability, McDonald's India (West & South), says in a press release, “We are delighted to welcome Kargutkar to the McDonald’s family. Having successfully led various big-ticket campaigns, he is a perfect fit for this role. His immense knowledge and strong capabilities in brand building and marketing communication will add tremendous value to our ambitious growth strategy.”