Why CRO role has become C-suite’s most dynamic seat

Over the past year, the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) role has witnessed unusually high churn, particularly in the media and entertainment sector. Once regarded as the steady anchor of go-to-market leadership, it is now evolving into one of the most high-risk, high-turnover positions in the C-suite.

As companies strive to accelerate growth in a climate of economic pressure, shifting buyer behaviour, and evolving sales models, most of them are reshaping their revenue leadership in search of better alignment with modern market demands. The shift underscores the rapidly changing expectations of what today’s CRO must deliver. The churn in CRO roles is being driven by several intersecting forces, with prolonged sales cycles and tightened budgets intensifying pressure on revenue performance. 

The following is a list of executives who transitioned out of their revenue leadership roles in the past year, reflecting the broader churn reshaping the CRO landscape:

Sanjog Gupta

Sanjog Gupta most recently served as the CEO of Sports & Live Experiences at JioStar. He joined Star India in 2010, following a two-decade career in journalism, and rose through content, programming, and strategy roles. In 2020, he became the Head of Sports at Disney-Star, where he spearheaded multi-language, digital-first, and women-focused sports coverage. He was appointed CEO of JioStar Sports in November 2024. 

In July 2025, he left JioStar to become the seventh CEO of the International Cricket Council, assuming the office on July 7 2025.

Ishan Chatterjee

Ishan Chatterjee spent 13 years at Google, holding business and revenue leadership roles across EMEA and APAC before rising to Managing Director of YouTube India. He left YouTube in August 2024 to join JioCinema as Chief Revenue Officer, taking charge of monetisation and revenue strategies across TV and digital sports. 

Ajit Varghese

Ajit Varghese was the Head of Revenue for Entertainment & International at JioStar until July 2025. Before that, he had held significant roles, including Chief Commercial Officer at ShareChat/Moj and global positions at Wavemaker (WPP). He stepped down from his role at JIoStar in late July 2025 to return to Madison Media as Partner and Group CEO for Media & OOH.

Ashish Sehgal

Ashish Sehgal had been Chief Growth Officer of Ad Sales (Broadcast & Digital) at Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) since January 2006, with earlier tenures at Star India, Buena Vista TV, and the Times Group. He resigned in August 2025 to pursue new opportunities after nearly two decades at ZEEL.

Sandeep Mehrotra

Sandeep Mehrotra was Head of Ad Sales for Network Channels at Sony Pictures Networks India, where he completed a tenure of 25 years. He stepped down from the role on July 17, 2025, citing personal reasons.

Arun Srinivas

Arun Srinivas had been Director and Head of Ads Business for Meta India since he joined the company in 2020, after leadership roles at Reebok, Hindustan Unilever, WestBridge Capital, and Ola. On July 1, 2025, he was promoted to Managing Director and Head of India operations for Meta, where his remit included aligning business, innovation, and revenue strategies.

Rahul Shaw

Rahul Shaw spent over 13 years with the India Today Group, where he held roles including CEO – Television & Radio and later Head of Stage (Stage Aaj Tak). He stepped down in June 2025 and is expected to take on a leadership position at NDTV shortly.

Rupali Fernandes

Rupali Fernandes was the Chief Revenue Officer at ABP Network for approximately two years, overseeing revenue across TV, digital, events, and sponsorships. She exited the CRO role in April 2025. 

Satyajit Sengupta

Satyajit Sengupta served as Chief Corporate Sales and Marketing Officer at Dainik Bhaskar Group from January 2017 until early 2025, overseeing corporate sales and marketing from the Mumbai office and reporting directly to Director Girish Agarwal. Prior to that, he held leadership roles at Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. (Times Group), including Associate Vice President and Metro Head in Gurgaon, and earlier roles in national verticals and magazines. In March 2025, he exited Dainik Bhaskar and, in April 2025, joined Hindustan Times Media Ltd. as Executive Director for Revenue, reporting to the CEO of its Print Business Unit.

Partha Sinha

Partha Sinha joined Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (BCCL), the Times of India Group, in 2020, serving as President of Response, leading the revenue arm to accelerate monetization and business recovery post‑Covid. In July 2024, he was elevated to President and Chief Brand Officer, overseeing all consumer‑facing brand portfolios, including The Times of India, Economic Times, Femina, and Mirror. 

In May 2025, he formally stepped down and transitioned into an advisory capacity at a multinational company as a Senior Business Advisor.