Manika Mittal

About Manika Mittal

Manika is a communications and marketing leader with 15+ years of experience working closely with executive leadership—currently reporting to the Group CEO at Balancehero India, a regulated Indo-Korean fintech.Her journey has spanned communications, brand building, and business alignment across regulated industries, retail sector, lifestyle, automobile, F&B and education sectors. Manika leads the communications and marketing mandate with a focus on purpose-led storytelling, delivering unified brand positioning that supports business growth and stakeholder trust. At the core, she helps connect the dots between leadership vision, team execution, and external perception—through narrative, structure, and strategy.Recognized as a PR 40 Under 40 leader, she has been trusted with high-stakes, cross-functional mandates—from driving regulatory reputation to launching AI-powered content automation and leading CXO enablement programs. Manika is also a regular speaker at leadership and communication forums, advocating for “data and metrics as the backbone of impactful communication.”Currently pursuing an executive MBA from Indian School of Business (ISB), Manika brings a systems-thinking mindset and a cross-disciplinary approach—fit for the kind of ambiguity, agility, and scale that tomorrow’s leadership roles demand.Her professional philosophy is simple yet powerful: a leader is as strong as their ability to continuously learn, unlearn, and adapt to an evolving corporate landscape. And at the heart of her leadership approach lies empathy—because while data builds credibility, it is empathy that builds trust, inspires people, and sustains meaningful impact. Most importantly, empathy is an enduring quality that remains AI-proof—something no algorithm or tool can ever replicate.

Experience

1. Group Head - Brand, Communication & Pr

   Balancehero India

   Sep 2019 — Present

   Owned the enterprise brand and digital roadmap across consumers, regulators, investors, partners, and employees, ensuring unified messaging and compliance-driven governance.• Led annual media strategy and buying across ATL, BTL, and digital; optimized ₹15 Cr budget, achieving 30% higher reach and engagement with 40% cost efficiency.• Scaled email, SMS, push, SEO, WhatsApp, and video marketing initiatives; improved CTR/OR and increased self-serve adoption by 20%.• Partnered with Product and CX teams to enhance customer journeys across onboarding, usage, and retention touchpoints, improving digital penetration.• Institutionalized A2I (Awareness–Influence–Impact) framework linking brand lift, NPS, and campaign effectiveness to business KPIs.• Delivered 10+ marquee campaigns (AI-led marketing, CSR, celebrity, leadership) 15% under budget; advanced recognition as NBFC of the Year and Champion of Financial Inclusion.• Directed 100+ Tier-1 media placements; strengthened policy-aligned communication during NBFC licensing transition; reduced brand risk exposure by 40%.• Spearheaded sponsorships, activations, and on-ground events with measurable ROI and stakeholder engagement.

Education

• NILEM INSTITUTE PRIVATE LIMITED

  Diploma in Financial Management , Accounting and Finance

• Apeejay Institute of Mass Communications

  PG Diploma, Mass Media & Mass Communication

  2007 — 2008

• Indian School of Business

  Professional Certificate in Digital Marketing , Digital Marketing

• Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Agra

  Bachelors degree, Business/Commerce, General

• Indian School of Business

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General

Skills

• Marketing Communications
• Publicity
• Reputation Management
• Media Planning
• Corporate Communications
• Public Relations
• Internal Communications
• Media Relations
• Journalism
• Crisis Communications
• Brand Management
• Press Releases
• Crisis Management
• Integrated Marketing
• Strategic Communications
• Content Development