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Tag: Ajit Mohan

  • The Summit started with a one-on-one that Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami had with Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India

    Republic conducts social media summit

    By Our Staff

     

    Republic Media Network has conducted its first ‘Social Media Summit’ to discuss issues around social media regulation, tech developments and promotional possibilities. Interestingly, the Summit also had a session on fake news.

     

    The Summit started with a one-on-one that Editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami had with Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India.

     

    Said  Goswami on the summit: “Over the last six months to a year there has been an incredible amount of conversation about social media, its regulations & responsibility. These conversations are not in isolation but linked to the fact that internet penetration, usage, accessibility has grown dramatically over the last decade. When things change, it garners interest across corporate, social and political platforms. When we conceived the idea of Social Media Summit, it was to ensure that we take two steps back away from our roles as stakeholders and users, and look at it as something in which the future of the country is vested in”.

     

    The fake news session was moderated by Suhel Seth, Managing Partner, Counselage India Pvt. Ltd, the panel featured Dr Ratan Sharda, Author, Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Aarin Capital Partners, Harish Bijoor, Brand-Guru, and Gaurav Pachnanda, Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India. There were other sessions featuring Anand Ranganathan, Scientist & Author, N.S. Nappinai, Supreme Court Advocate & Founder, Cyber Saathi, Lizzie O’Shea, Digital Rights Activist, Human Rights Lawyer & Writer and Kanchan Gupta, Senior Advisor, Ministry of I&B, Government of India. Another session had Rujuta Diwekar, Nutritionist for celebrities and one more was  moderated by Karthikeya Tanna, U.S. Immigration Attorney and Political Commentator where the panel featured Dr Siddhant Bhargava, Co-Founder, Food Darzee, Anshoo Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO, magicpin, Garima Khandelwal, Chief Creative Officer, Mullen Lintas and A S Rajgopal, Founder & CEO, MYn. There were other panels with Smita Prakash, Editor, ANI, Madhoo, Indian Actor, Sinan Aral, Actor- David Austin Professor, MIT/ Director, MIT IDE/ Founding Partner, Manifest Capital, Author- The Hype Machine, Shefali Vaidya, Author, Speaker, Fellow-Ananta Leadership Program, Major Gaurav Arya, Consulting Editor, Defence and Strategic Analyst, Aprameya Radhakrishna, Co-Founder & CEO, Koo, Niranjan Narayanaswamy, Executive Editor-News, Republic Media Network, Pulkit Agarwal, CEO & Co-Founder, Trell, Ashish Bhasin, CEO APAC & Chariman India, Dentsu, Umang Bedi, Co-Founder, Verse Innovation (Josh & Dailyhunt) and Dr. Pawan Duggal, Advocate – Supreme Court of India.

     

    The Summit will air on Republic TV over the weekend and can be accessed on the RepublicWorld website.

     

  • As per a report in Times magazine’s website, Shivnath Thukral, former journalist and WhatsApp’s public policy director, has been asked to take over Das’s duties on an interim basis until a replacement can be found

    Controversial Facebook policy head Ankhi Das quits

    By A Correspondent

     

    Facebook India’s policy head Ankhi Das has resigned. She was at the centre of a controversy after a newspaper reported on Facebook’s alleged political biases.

     

    As a report in Times magazine’s website, Shivnath Thukral, former journalist and WhatsApp’s public policy director, has been asked to take over Das’s duties on an interim basis until a replacement can be found. This has not been confirmed or denied by Facebook or Thukral.

     

    According to a statement published on The Hindu website, Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India, has said, “Ankhi has decided to step down from her role in Facebook to pursue her interest in public service. Ankhi was one of our earliest employees in India and played an instrumental role in the growth of the company and its services over the last nine years. She has been a part of my leadership team over the last two years, a role in which she has made enormous contributions. We are grateful for her service and wish her the very best for the future.”

     

     

  • This new video format is a core part of the future of entertainment on Instagram

    Instagram introduces Reels to entertain India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Instagram has announced the extension of the testing of Reels, a new video format, to India. This format offers a new way to create and share short videos on Instagram, aimed at redefining the future of entertainment on the platform.

     

    Said Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India: “With the rise in video consumption overall and videos making up over a third of posts on Instagram in India, Instagram has a big role to play in unleashing expression in the country. People across the big and small cities of India come to Instagram to express themselves safely, and also to be entertained. With Reels, we’re unveiling the future of entertainment on the platform, in a way that ignites creativity. With the multiple creative formats, whichever way you want to express yourself, it can now be on Instagram.”

     

    Added Vishal Shah, Vice President of Product, Facebook: “Instagram has always been a place where culture is created, because people come to share the things they care about and be entertained. We’re constantly listening to our community, and have heard that they want to make and watch short-form videos on Instagram and have the opportunity to be discovered by our broader community.  We’re excited to expand the test of Reels to India and give the next generation of creators born and bred in India a chance to share their native and cultural context — and be potential global stars.”

     

    India is the fourth country, after Brazil, Germany and France, where this new format is being tested.

     

     

  • Meanwhile, Jio Platforms, Reliance Retail Limited and WhatsApp have also entered into a commercial partnership agreement to accelerate Reliance Retail’s new commerce business on the JioMart platform using WhatsApp and to support small businesses on WhatsApp

    Facebook takes 9.9% of Jio Platforms (Reliance Jio’s holding co) at Rs 43,574cr

    By A Correspondent

     

    It’s been in the works for a while, and then there have been rumours to the effect that this is set to happen. And then the Covid-19 scare happened, and one didn’t know when it would actually happen. If at all.

    But in the wee hours of today (and April 21 in the United States), a statement came in from Facebook and Reliance Industries.

    First the Facebook note by David Fischer, Chief Revenue Officer, and Ajit Mohan, VP and Managing Director, India: “Today we are announcing a $5.7 billion, or INR 43,574 crore, investment in Jio Platforms Limited, part of Reliance Industries Limited, making Facebook its largest minority shareholder.

    “This investment underscores our commitment to India, and our excitement for the dramatic transformation that Jio has spurred in the country. In less than four years, Jio has brought more than 388 million people online, fueling the creation of innovative new enterprises and connecting people in new ways. We are committed to connecting more people in India together with Jio.

    “India is in the midst of one of the most dynamic social and economic transformations the world has ever seen, driven by the rapid adoption of digital technologies. In just the past five years, more than 560 million people in India have gained access to the internet.

    “Our goal is to enable new opportunities for businesses of all sizes, but especially for the more than 60 million small businesses across India. They account for the majority of jobs in the country, and form the heart and soul of rural and urban communities alike. In the face of the coronavirus, it is important that we both combat this global pandemic now, and lay the groundwork to help people and businesses in the years to come.

    “One focus of our collaboration with Jio will be creating new ways for people and businesses to operate more effectively in the growing digital economy. For instance, by bringing together JioMart, Jio’s small business initiative, with the power of WhatsApp, we can enable people to connect with businesses, shop and ultimately purchase products in a seamless mobile experience.

    “India is a special country for us. Over the years, Facebook has invested in India to connect people and help businesses launch and grow. WhatsApp is so ingrained in Indian life that it has become a commonly used verb across many Indian languages and dialects. Facebook brings together friends and families, but moreover, it’s one of the country’s biggest enablers of growth for small businesses. And Instagram has grown dramatically in India in recent years as the place where people follow their interests and passions.

    “We are excited about furthering our investment in India’s vibrant digital economy. Our efforts with Jio will be focused on opening new doors and fueling India’s economic growth and the prosperity of its people. We look forward to working with Jio, and to future collaborations in India to advance this vision.”

     

    And here goes the communique from Reliance:

    “Reliance Industries Limited (“Reliance Industries”), Jio Platforms Limited (“Jio Platforms”) and Facebook, Inc. (“Facebook”) today announced the signing of binding agreements for an investment of ₹ 43,574 crore by Facebook into Jio Platforms. This investment by Facebook values Jio Platforms at ₹ 4.62 lakh crore pre-money enterprise value ($65.95 billion, assuming a conversion rate of ₹ 70 to a US Dollar). Facebook’s investment will translate into a 9.99% equity stake in Jio Platforms on a fully diluted basis.

    “Jio Platforms, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, is a next-generation technology company building a Digital Society for India by bringing together Jio’s leading digital apps, digital ecosystems and India’s #1 high speed connectivity platform under one umbrella. Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, which provides connectivity platform to over 388 million subscribers, will continue to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms.

    “Jio’s vision is to enable a Digital India for 1.3 billion Indians and Indian businesses, especially small merchants, micro-businesses and farmers. Jio has brought transformational changes in the Indian digital services space and propelled India on the path towards becoming a global technology leader and among the leading digital economies in the world.

    “Jio has built a world-class digital platform powered by leading technologies such as Broadband connectivity, Smart Devices, Cloud and Edge Computing, Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Augmented and Mixed Reality and Blockchain.

    “Jio has created an ecosystem comprising network, devices, applications, content, service experiences and affordable tariffs for every Indian to experience the Jio Digital Life. During the current Covid-19 crisis, Jio’s platforms have been a dependable and inclusive Digital Lifeline for our Nation.

    “As one of the largest countries in the world, India is home to some of Facebook’s most thriving communities on WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. Over the years, Facebook has invested in India based on a strong belief in India’s entrepreneurial talent and opportunity, to help create meaningful impact for Indians and Indian businesses using their multiple platforms.

    “The partnership between Facebook and Jio is unprecedented in many ways. This is the largest investment for a minority stake by a technology company anywhere in the world and the largest FDI in the technology sector in India. The investment values Jio Platforms amongst the top 5 listed companies in India by market capitalization, within just three and a half years of launch of commercial services, validating Reliance Industries’ capability in incubating and building disruptive next-generation businesses, while delivering market defining shareholder value.

    “Our goal with this investment is to enable new opportunities for businesses of all sizes, but especially for small businesses across India and create new and exciting digital ecosystems that will empower, enrich and uplift the lives of all 1.3 billion Indians.

    “This partnership will accelerate India’s all-round development, fulfilling the needs of Indian people and the Indian economy. Our focus will be India’s 60 million micro, small and medium businesses, 120 million farmers, 30 million small merchants and millions of small and medium enterprises in the informal sector, in addition to empowering people seeking various digital services.

    “The partnership assumes special significance for India in the wake of the severe disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic in the Indian — and the global — economy. In the post- Covid era, comprehensive digitalisation will be an absolute necessity for revitalisation of the Indian economy. It is our common belief and commitment that no Indian should be deprived of the tremendous new opportunities, including opportunities for new employment and new businesses, in the process of India’s 360-degree digital transformation.

    “Concurrent with the investment, Jio Platforms, Reliance Retail Limited (“Reliance Retail”) and WhatsApp have also entered into a commercial partnership agreement to further accelerate Reliance Retail’s New Commerce business on the JioMart platform using WhatsApp and to support small businesses on WhatsApp. WhatsApp already plays an important role in helping people and businesses connect in India. Reliance Retail’s New Commerce platform, JioMart, is being built in partnership with millions of small merchants and kirana shops to empower them to better serve the needs of Indian consumers. The companies will work closely to ensure that consumers are able to access the nearest kiranas who can provide products and services to their homes by transacting seamlessly with JioMart using WhatsApp.

    “Commenting on the partnership with Facebook, Mr Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries Ltd, said, “When Reliance launched Jio in 2016, we were driven by the dream of India’s Digital Sarvodaya– India’s Inclusive Digital Rise to improve the quality of life of every single Indian and to propel India as the world’s leading Digital Society. All of us at Reliance are therefore humbled by the opportunity to welcome Facebook as our long-term partner in continuing to grow and transform the digital ecosystem of India for the benefit of all Indians. The synergy between Jio and Facebook will help realise Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s ‘Digital India’ Mission with its two ambitious goals — ‘Ease of Living’ and ‘Ease of Doing Business’ – for every single category of Indian people without exception. In the post-Corona era, I am confident of India’s economic recovery and resurgence in the shortest period of time. The partnership will surely make an important contribution to this transformation.”

     

     

  • Chakrabarti comes with eighteen years of experience working with leading tech brands and PR agencies

    Bipasha Chakrabarti appointed Communications Head at Facebook India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Facebook announced that it has recruited a new communications head to lead its growing corporate communications and public relations mandate in India. Bipasha Chakrabarti will take on the role of Communications Director at Facebook India, and will be a part of the India leadership team, reporting to Ajit Mohan.

     

    Her last assignment was as Head of Corporate Communications at Cisco India and SAARC.  The announcement comes just a month after Facebook announced the hiring of Avinash Pant as the Marketing Director at Facebook India to drive the company’s consumer marketing efforts across the family of apps.

     

    Said Ajit Mohan, VP and MD of Facebook India: “Communications is a critical function for us as we continue to build Facebook’s story in India. We are grateful for the trust that our users, advertisers, partners, and the government have placed in us, and are committed to communicating openly and transparently. Bipasha is among the most seasoned communication professionals in the country and I am very excited to have her join us and lead this charter.”

     

     

  • The campaign highlights the power of connections through a high decibel marketing campaign

    Facebook rolls out its ‘More Together’ campaign in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Facebook has launched a new consumer marketing campaign in India, ‘More Together’, to showcase how people across the country can do more together by harnessing the power of their connections on the platform. The campaign is the first to be launched in the Asia Pacific region.

     

    Said Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India: “India is at the heart of Facebook and one of our focus areas this year is to tell the exciting story of a service that is deeply embedded in the fabric of India. While at the company level we remain focussed on building trust, we want to showcase the many ways that Facebook is intertwined in the lives of Indians – from connecting with loved ones, to growing businesses and supporting local communities, to finding ways to come together to learn and share and celebrate. I could not be more excited that we are telling our story – it is a story that is lived by people across the country every day.”

     

    The campaign for India has been conceptualised and executed by Taproot Dentsu. Said Agnello Dias, Co-Founder, Taproot Dentsu and Creative Chairperson, Dentsu Aegis Network India: “Taproot Dentsu is delighted to develop such an important campaign for one of the most loved services in the country. The world of Facebook represents a canvas of connections that’s huge, vibrant and full of serendipitous outcomes and surprises. To celebrate all users and to inspire more of them to benefit from the power of connections, our creative team led by Pallavi Chakravarti, wrote stories with all these unexpected, wonderful outcomes, which are inspired by real people and their real journeys.”

     

     

  • Brings the AI community together to discuss next phase of innovation, announces accelerator programme, scholarships, and 'women in AI' hackathons

    Facebook hosts AI for Social Good Summit

    By A Correspondent

     

    Facebook has announced a host of initiatives dedicated to delivering social and inclusive growth by harnessing the power of emerging technologies led by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The announcements were made at Facebook’s inaugural AI for India Summit held in Bengaluru that focused on AI for Social Good. The summit was attended by AI thought-leaders, start-ups, NGOs, and the developer community.

     

    Kicking off the day-long summit, Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India, said: “At Facebook, we are developing and leveraging cutting-edge technologies for products we develop around the world. From developing a tool to swiftly connect blood banks and hospitals with blood donors to utilising Disaster Maps to aid the relief work during the 2018 Kerala Floods, we have always sought opportunities to deploy the best of our expertise in the service of India. We are an ally for India’s economic growth and social development and this summit is our effort to understand how we can contribute to the development of deep tech in India, as well as corral resources to use these technologies to develop impactful solutions for tough and persistent problems.”

     

    “At Facebook we are also committed to growing the local AI ecosystem, which can be achieved by providing support to start-ups, to the student community, and by ensuring diversity within the ecosystem itself. That’s the thought behind our key announcements today around AI for India Accelerator, trainings and scholarships for students and developers, and ‘Women in AI’ hackathons,” added Mohan.

     

  • Partnership provides Hotstar Premium users access to additional 6,000 hours of Hollywood TV shows, movies and original content

    Hotstar announces content partnership with HOOQ

    By A Correspondent

     

    OTT players Hotstar and HOOQ have forged a partnership with HOOQ’s 6,000-hour catalogue of Hollywood TV shows and movies made available to Hotstar Premium users, and in turn, enables HOOQ to leverage Hotstar’s massive scale of over 150 million monthly active users.

     

    Said Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar: “Hotstar Premium’s English catalogue is unlike anything you’ll find on any other platform in the world – an aggregation of content from across studios and content producers, at a single destination.  This partnership with HOOQ, with its portfolio of curated blockbuster Hollywood content, seals the argument – for an English content fan, there is nowhere else to go.”

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Peter Bithos, CEO, HOOQ added: “We are so pleased to announce this collaboration with Hotstar that combines their reach with our offering as the ‘Home for Hollywood’ in India.  With the appetite for Hollywood content in India growing at a furious pace, we are poised to offer the Indian customer easily accessible and a very affordable way to watch the best of Hollywood.  This partnership with Hotstar underscores our commitment to satisfying the Indian market’s appetite for on-demand content.”

     

    Said Prabh Singh, Business Head – Hotstar Premium: “When it comes to English content, Hotstar Premium is uniquely placed in that it boasts titles from global studios like HBO, Disney, Showtime and Fox and now with HOOQ, iconic shows like The Big Bang Theory, The Flash, S.W.A.T and even cult classics like Friends in the fold.  Regardless of mood, genre preference or which side of the superhero debate you sit on, Hotstar Premium is the single destination where English content consumers find everything. The partnership with HOOQ firmly strengthens that position.”

     

    Meanwhile, this is what Zulfiqar Khan, Managing Director of India for HOOQ, said: “This is the start of a great relationship between HOOQ and Hotstar in India, we are excited to bring to life a wealth of content for a new audience.  The OTT market is an exciting space and our belief is that it is imperative for consumers to have easy access to content.  With this Hotstar partnership, HOOQ takes another step forward in becoming the service known as the “Home of Hollywood” on major platforms”.

     

     

  • This is a new structure for Facebook India of having a senior leader reporting into Menlo Park and not Asia Pacific

    Ajit Mohan to move from Hotstar to the Facebook hotseat

    By A Correspondent

     

    The wait is over. Around a year after Umang Bedi, its last India head moved out, on Monday, Facebook Inc announced that it has appointed Hotstar CEO Ajit Mohan as Managing Director and Vice-President, Facebook India. He will join from early next year. Mohan is said to have pipped several biggies in the media to the post… including someone from his own organisation – Star India.

    Mohan’s role is bigger than that of Bedi. In this newly created role of Managing Director for India, a VP-level role, one of his most important responsibilities will be aligning teams and driving Facebook’s overall strategy in India. This is a new structure for Facebook India of having a senior leader reporting into Menlo Park and not Asia Pacific.

    Mohan will be responsible for Facebook’s India strategy and for driving the company’s continued investment in India. He will lead a senior leadership team in India that will strengthen Facebook’s relationships with people, businesses, and government and intensify the company’s efforts to help people in India connect with the people and things they care about most.

     

    “India is one of the largest and most strategically important countries for Facebook. As we think about what it will take to achieve our mission of bringing people together and building community, we know that investment in India is critical. Ajit’s depth of experience will help us to continue to have a positive impact in India across communities, organisations, businesses and with policy makers,” said David Fischer, Vice-President of Business and Marketing Partnerships, Facebook Inc.

    “I am delighted to take on the mantle of shaping Facebook’s charter in India. It is a unique opportunity to shape the agenda of a company that has brought the world closer together in one of the most exciting markets in the world. I look forward to championing India in Facebook and working with stakeholders across the spectrum to help build deep and meaningful communities across the country,” said Mohan.

     

    The next year is going to be significant for Facebook and India being (as of now) an election year. Social media and microblogging platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are expected to play a key role, and along with Whatsapp, could change the course of the way the elections will be fought. Given this Mohan could well have a tightrope walk as the tendency is always to blame the media/ digital vehicle first and not the content creators.

     

    Facebook has had a good run with the advertising fraternity, and that needs to be cemented further to grow the reliance on digital over traditional media.

     

    Meanwhile, we’ll wait to hear who takes over from Mohan at Hotstar. Mohan is credited (and rightly so) to have scaled up Hotstar operations and equity, though most of it is on the back of sports (read IPL and India cricket). Surely it will need a hotter star to fill his shoes.

  • The study reports nearly five times growth in video consumption in the last 12 months, with 96 percent of all usage being focused on long form video

    Video lighting up data and smartphones, says Hotstar study

    By A Correspondent

     

    Star India’s OTT platform has released its first India Watch Report 2018 with usage patterns on its platform. The study reports nearly five times growth in video consumption in the last 12 months, with 96 percent of all usage being focused on long form video. The last 12 months have also seen access to data and consumption of video go deeper into inner India, notes the report.

     

    Speaking about the report, Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar said: “A new generation of users are emerging in India who take for granted round the clock access to the best stories; who know that they can watch the best shows from around the world at the same time as the world (and sometimes way ahead of most of the world); who do not worry about being forced to skip their team’s weekend football games because they are not at home in front of their television; and who have the implicit faith that all breaking news will reach them without any effort on their part.”

  • The knowledge sharing session on ‘Overview & Insights of OTT’ touched upon the future of technology enhancing streamlining of content and the growth of content consumption

    IAA Conversations discusses future of OTT

    By A Correspondent

     

    The India Chapter of International Advertising Association (IAA) organiseda new edition of ‘IAA Conversations’ with Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar and Ashish Bhasin, Chairman  & CEO South Asia – Dentsu Aegis Network in Mumbai last week. The session was moderated by Megha Tata, COO, BTVI.

     

    Underscoring the people’s appetite for video consumption is on a rise and smartphones accelerate this possibility, Mohan said: “The myth that small screen may not be good for long content viewing is slowly breaking. The power of accessible, curated real stories online is strengthened through technology. OTT has lent us the ability to leverage stories and transform experience. OTT has helped to marry the engagement ability of a television with the consumer understanding of OTT. Cricket has helped people to come to this platform.”

     

    Bhasin said that tectonic shifts are happening online, stating: “Where there are eyeballs there go the numbers. 13-14 per cent market is digital. Video consumption will increase with smart phones. As of now there is a 22-24 per cent penetration. In India every medium holds the potential to grow. The big problem in the ecosystem for the medium to grow is the standardisation of currency to measure multimedia reach.”

     

    Said Ramesh Narayan, President, IAA India Chapter the event:“As a responsible industry association, the India chapter of the IAA has found this a great way of engaging the youth and at the same time amplifying the message on a national basis.”

     

     

  • The appointment comes with the mandate to showcase the power of the Hotstarplatform to leading brands

    Hotstar appoints Punitha Arumugam as Platform Evangelist

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hotstar has announced the appointment of Punitha Arumugam as Platform Evangelist, with the mandate to showcase the power of the platform to leading brands. Arumugam, a media agency veteran, has spent over 13 years at Madison Media where Group CEO was the last position she held and she was later at Google as Agency Director for over five years. While an expert in traditional media, she has now – given her Google experience – increasingly evangelised the use of digital by agencies and marketers.

     

    Before this role, she was at Google where she led itsagency business, first from India and later for the region from Singapore, as Managing Director, APAC Agency for Google APAC. She is currently setting up her own firm in the communications tech space.Arumugamstarted her career in 1990 with Ogilvy in Chennai and subsequently joined Lintas Initiative Media. She moved to Madison in 1999. For the last five years, she has been heading the Emvies organising committee for the Advertising Club.

     

    Commenting on the development, Ajit Mohan, CEO, Hotstar, said “Punitha is a leader in digital who has a fantastic track record of having aided the creation of many agency and brand partnerships in India and around the region. Hotstar is a special place for brands. We are delighted that she is coming on board to help us introduce the unique power of Hotstar to marketers around the country.”

     

    Added Arumugam: “Hotstar is one of the few video platforms in the world that has tremendous scale, very engaged audiences and remains open to advertisers. I believe the world of marketing is evolving quite rapidly, and Hotstar has the unique ability to marry the scale and engagement of television, with the power of audience understanding that digital brings. This is what brands have been waiting for, and I am delighted to play a role in shaping the next phase of the industry’s evolution.”