GroupM's Hiren Pandit heads to TransStadia as COO

Pandit's last stint was with GroupM for 13 years. He resigned from the post of managing partner at the agency in April-May, 2013.

Hiren Pandit, who quit GroupM in May, has joined TransStadia as chief operating officer.

At GroupM, as a managing partner, he was responsible for driving the entertainment and sports practice. He will use the same experience to grow TransStadia.

On his new role, Pandit says, "I am passionate about sports and the commitment TransStadia has shown in this space is how I made this decision to join it."

TransStadia has diversified interests across sports academies, intellectual property rights, consulting and infrastructure.

Udit Sheth, managing director and CEO, TransStadia, says, "TransStadia has swiftly grown over the last four years. To manage this growth and further build the business, we wanted to build a strong leadership team. I have known Hiren for some time now and believe his experience and passion are the right combination to lead TransStadia in achieving its objectives. Personally and on behalf of TransStadia, I welcome Hiren and wish him all the success in his new role."

Pandit joined Mindshare Mumbai in 2000. He also led GroupM's entertainment, sports and partnerships practice in 2006. He was a part of Aspire, the agency's training programme. Before joining GroupM, he was associated with JWT for close to 12 years and left the agency as vice-president, media.