afaqs! Pause - Noel Mascarenhas, Head – Marketing & Product, Aadhar Housing Finance Ltd.

Noel Mascarenhas is a dynamic business leader who brings over two decades of business and marketing expertise to his role as the Head – Marketing & Product at Aadhar Housing Finance Ltd. Here’s a little sneak peek into his workday, leadership mantra, and advice to young professionals.

afaqs! Content Team

16 Jan 2026 05:00 IST

New Update

"Derive inspiration to work from small slices of life"

1/6

The best part of my job is…

I get to have fun with my team, especially when brainstorming creative ideas. Working with them to solve customer problems, like a team of NASA scientists planning a mission to avoid Armageddon, the exaggeration of ideas and the fun that is associated with it, that’s my favourite part.

2/6

My leadership mantra

Take each day as it comes. Never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to show up and never settle for anything lesser than your best.

3/6

In an alternate timeline I would have been

Part of a rock band and probably playing at Woodstock 1969. Leading resistance through music while promoting freedom and peace!

4/6

Streaming/Reading now

Reading 'Butter' by Asako Yuzuki, a thriller based on a real life serial killer, focusing on a convicted gourmet cook, Manako Kajii, who seduces and possibly murders lonely men with her delicious food, and a female journalist, Rika Machida, who tries to get her story by requesting recipes, leading to a deep dive into misogyny, food culture, and female identity in Japan. Also reading 'HBRs Must Reads on Marketing'. Watching ‘The Sandman’ on Netflix. Revolves around Morpheus — the King of Dreams — embarks on a journey across worlds to find what was stolen from him and restore his power

5/6

My top 3 productivity hacks

1. Listen and read a problem to understand, than just to provide a solution. 2. Derive inspiration to work from small slices of life. 3. Uncomplicate bigger problems, into smaller challenges, before attempting to solve it.

6/6

A recent ad campaign I liked

Home Instead with Macaulay Culkin. Home Instead’s latest Christmas ad brings back Kevin McCallister, only this time he is an adult and is risk-proofing his house for his aged mother. It’s simple, brings nostalgia, targets a set of people who grew up watching 'Home Alone', and who’s parents would now be old and in need of these services. The slice of life with a touch of nostalgia works well for me.

Aadhar Housing Finance Noel Mascarenhas

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