Top-level rejig in Adidas; Prem quits, Claus MD

German sportswear maker on Monday announced a top-level management change by appointing Claus Heckerott as managing director for Adidas Group India in place of Subhinder Singh Prem who has quit with immediate effect. Prem, who has been the Group’s India MD and Vishnu Bhagat, COO, have both left with immediate effect, Adidas said in a statement. Adidas India further said Frederic Serrant has been appointed as sales director with effect from April 1, 2012. Singh, who was earlier MD of Reebok India and associated with the brand for over 15 years, was announced the MD of Adidas Group India last year. The company did not specify reasons behind the change.

Yamaha may set up third manufacturing unit in TN

Japanese two-wheeler giant Yamaha is understood to have finalised a location in Tamil Nadu to set up its third facility in India to expand its operations. According to sources in the know of the development, the company has shortlisted Tamil Nadu out of three states, including Karnataka and Maharashtra, and will sign the memorandum of understanding (MoU) by May this year. ?Yamaha will soon sign the MoU with the state government. It may happen in April or May,? a senior government official said on the condition of anonymity. When contacted, a spokesperson of the company declined to comment on the development.

Sameer Kaul is private banking head at Citi

Citi India on Monday appointed Sameer Kaul as the head of its private banking business. Commenting on the appointment, Citi India chief executive Pramit Jhaveri said, ?We are pleased to appoint Kaul as the new head of our private banking here. His expertise in client servicing, product management and experience will further strengthen the business and prove to be an asset in growing our business here?. Most recently, Kaul was the head of retail branch banking business here where he ran Citi India’s 42 branches spanning 30 cities and was responsible for commercial banking and wealth management distribution business originating from the branches.

Godrej Locking eyes expansion in Qatar

Godrej Locking Solutions and Systems has appointed Doha?s leading player Nabina Hardware as its sole distributor in Qatar to expand fast in the region. The partnership is expected to give Godrej access to over 100 retailers across Qatar. The company is targeting 35-40% growth over three years, Prasad Sane, head of the international business at Godrej Locking, said at a retail conference hosted by Nabina Hardware, according to the Gulf Times. Modernisation and growth in the region have made security a lifestyle need rather than a need based on safety, he said.

Tata Communications plans African expansion

Tata Communications plans to expand its operations in Kenya, Tanzania and southern Africa and will seek partnerships with domestic companies to build infrastructure, a newspaper has reported. Tata will use its Neotel unit in South Africa to expand in the region, the Johannesburg-based newspaper said, citing chief executive officer Vinod Kumar. Neotel posted its first full-year profit before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization since it began operations five years ago, the paper said.