Big Moves at the Top: Crystal Hues Appoints a New Managing Director Amid Leadership Expansion With 3 New Directors
From young, budding professionals to industry leaders, each of these journeys is a story of growth, grit, and game-changing ambition.
First up is our New Managing Director!
SHAILESH KUMAR
Shailesh Kumar is no stranger to leadership. A visionary entrepreneur and growth strategist, Shailesh has a proven track record of building brands and scaling businesses. As the Founder & CEO of CHLEAR, an integrated marketing agency, and Senior Vice President at Crystal Hues Limited (CHL), he brings a rare mix of creative insight and sharp business acumen.
A strong advocate of growth hacking and innovation, he has successfully launched and led multiple startups across various sectors. His entrepreneurial mindset and hands-on leadership have helped brands discover new growth paths and stand out in crowded markets.
Driven by purpose and passion, Shailesh is equally committed to mentoring young entrepreneurs and shaping the next generation of leaders.
As Managing Director of CHL, he envisions transforming the company into a global leader in localization.
His goal? To integrate cutting-edge technology and AI to deliver faster, culturally nuanced, and scalable solutions — helping global brands connect with local audiences through intelligent, tech-powered communication.
PRANAV MENON
Pranav Menon started as a developer intern but quickly pivoted to sales within six months—and never looked back.
Following his first major milestone with CHL as a business manager, he grew into a director of India Is Us. Did he stop there? Absolutely not!
He co-founded CHL Softech a year ago in April 2024. What does his journey tell us?
He has grown into a key force across the group: VP at Crystal Hues, Director at CHL Softech and IndiaIsUs. Now, he has joined the board with a vision that echoes Steve Jobs: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”
When asked about his vision for the company, this is what he had to say:
“We can’t outrun technology — so let’s harness it as our backbone and build an empire that creates opportunities, drives innovation, and lifts others as we rise.”
And if you’ve met Pranav, you know he’s just getting started.
ANIRUD MUKOLA
Anirud Mukola began his journey with Crystal Hues Limited in 2015 as a business development intern. Five years, multiple verticals, and countless milestones later, he returned to the parent company and rose to the role of VP.
After starting as an intern at CHL, he briefly worked at FairGaze before returning to CHL Digital as an Account Management Trainee, steadily growing into the role of Account Manager. He then joined CHLEAR as a Brand Strategist and later became Brand Manager at India Is Us. With five years of diverse experience under his belt, he rejoined Crystal Hues Limited as Business Strategy Head, and within just three years, rose to Vice President in April 2023. Today, he serves on the board of directors.
His sharp strategic mindset and deep-rooted understanding of CHL make him a natural choice for the board. His story is proof that when you grow with the company, the company grows with you.
Here’s what Anirud had to say about being trusted with the massive responsibility of steering the company forward through what can only be described as a tumultuous time for the language industry:
“There has been a lot of talk about AI disruption in the post COVID era. The entire content industry is looking ways to pivot. I have seen businesses shutting shops or stepping away from the industry as well.”
“Fortunately, Crystal Hues' diverse portfolio of group companies focused on solving problems, and hence, clients trust and work with us not for the services we offer, but the end problems that we solve for them. The company's ethos of being technology first and, system driven has been the cornerstone because of which the company's overall growth is on the rise even with the uncertainty that the various AI tools bring, for the industry,” he added, explaining the company’s ability to adapt.
Shifting the focus to the challenge ahead, he added, “We believe in embracing the change and are extremely excited to work with newer technology and tools. We already have hundreds of case studies where we have extended the benefit of cost and time without compromising the quality of our output, to our clients. Embracing, testing, adapting and implementing. The future looks bright!”