Nikhil Kumar has stepped down as chief growth officer at mediasmart, the global programmatic advertising platform of the Affle Group, ending a nearly six-year stint with the company.
Kumar confirmed his exit to Storyboard18. Neither Affle nor mediasmart had issued an official statement on the development at the time of publication.
During his tenure, Kumar held several leadership positions, including senior director – brand and strategy for India and Southeast Asia, vice president for India and Southeast Asia, and most recently chief growth officer. He led initiatives spanning revenue growth, market expansion, brand strategy and strategic partnerships across multiple regions.
His departure comes as Affle continues to expand its focus on programmatic advertising, connected TV (CTV) and performance-led brand solutions through mediasmart. Kumar played a key role in positioning the platform around full-funnel advertising and cross-screen marketing, particularly in emerging markets. He also represented the company at industry events, speaking on topics such as CTV adoption, measurement and the evolution of mobile-first advertising.
Before joining mediasmart, Kumar held leadership roles at ByteDance, where he served as business head for global business solutions in India, and at InMobi as director – brand strategy. Earlier in his career, he worked at PUMA India, L'Oréal and Cafe Coffee Day across marketing and brand management functions.
Kumar also serves as a board member of the Mobile Marketing Association India. He has not announced his next professional move.
