The Hindu gets Rajiv C Lochan as MD and CEO

Kasturi and Sons, the publishers of The Hindu and other Group publications have roped in Rajiv C Lochan as the managing director and chief executive officer. The appointment has been done unanimously by the board of directors at KSL.

He will take charge from June 1, 2014 and will lead all non editorial operations of the company and join the board of directors.

Lochan is currently a trustee of IKP Trust and will continue to devote time to public health issues in rural India. He graduated from IIT, Madras and has advanced degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Columbia Business School.

Until June 2012, he was a Partner at McKinsey & Company's India practice, where he spent 11 years. He co-founded McKinsey's Chennai office and was a leader of McKinsey's Financial Institutions practice and Social Sector practice (focused on financial inclusion and rural economic development). At McKinsey, he served over 35 institutions in India, South-east Asia and the US on topics of growth strategy, performance transformation, organisation and leadership & capability development.

In a press release issued from the group, N. Ram, chairman, and N. Murali, co-chairman, of KSL says, "In this digital age when the Indian press, and specifically The Hindu newspaper group, faces radically new types of challenges and opportunities, when relevant and rich editorial content that continually engages a variety of readers and best editorial practices need to go hand in hand with a smart business strategy that thinks two steps ahead, operates with a progressive vision rooted in values, and balances its responsibilities of ensuring value to shareholders, a fair and just deal for employees, and sustained gains for readers, advertisers, and other partners in the business, we are confident that we have found the right person to head the non-editorial operations of the company,"

The release added: "Rajiv C Lochan brings to his challenging role as managing director and CEO of Kasturi & Sons Limited dynamism and social awareness combined with a winning record as a professional who has led in driving performance and transforming the culture of large organisations in step with rapidly changing times. We are excited about this change at the helm of our business operations."

Previously the position of the CEO at KSL was headed by Arun Anant, who stepped down in late 2013.

Prior to McKinsey & Company, Lochan worked for American Express Company in New York, where he was director - risk management, responsible for credit/fraud authorisations strategy. He has also worked with USAirways in Arlington, VA in the schedule planning group and was a summer intern at the World Bank in Washington, DC.