ASCI's Alan Collaco retires; Shweta Purandare to take over in June

The Council has also announced the appointment of Ashutosh Geedh as chief administrative officer.

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the self-regulatory organisation of advertisers in India, has announced that Alan Collaco, secretary general, will retire from the organization effective May 30.

Collaco says, "I am grateful to the ASCI team for offering me the desired platform to get associated with India's largest self-regulatory voluntary organisation of the advertising sector. I am deeply honoured to have had the opportunity to be in the core team of ASCI, supporting the association's vision of protecting the interests of the consumers."

He will remain with ASCI through May to ensure a smooth and successful transition for his successor Shweta Purandare, currently chief operations officer of ASCI. Purandare will assume the role of secretary general on June 1.

Purandare has more than 22 years of industry experience, having worked with eminent companies such as Cipla, Merind, P&G and L'Oreal. She has been actively associated with ASCI as its chief operations officer for the past one year.

In her new role, she will continue to handle the consumer complaints process. In addition, she will lead marketing, public relations and social media initiatives for ASCI.

Also, Ashutosh Geedh has joined ASCI in the newly created post of chief administrative officer on May 5. An MBA from the Asian Institute of Management, Manila, Geedh's experience spans more than 19 years in companies such as Patni Computers, LIC, Securex Capital Advisors and Towering Heights Telecommunications. He is responsible for administration, finance and accounts, HR, legal, IT and internal and external communication. He reports to the secretary general.

Partha Rakshit, chairman, ASCI, says, "Alan will be greatly missed by ASCI members for his tremendous commitment to excellence. While we are indebted to him for his exemplary service to ASCI's mission, we are also confident that his successor, Shweta, will demonstrate strong leadership skills and analytical insights, further supporting the association's vision and mission.

"Also, the appointment of Ashutosh will further strengthen the association's operations, thereby ensuring seamless functioning across various departments and external bodies."