Papa Kehte Hain's Mayoori Kango left Bollywood to become a marketer at Google; now she has a new job

MAny stargaze of quitting their 9-to-5 jobs to chase after stardom in Bollywood. But Mayoori Kango’s story changed that book. At one time a rising doer best known for the iconic song Ghar Se Nikalte Hi, she walked away from the film industry at the peak of her career to pursue corporate ambitions. After making her mark at Google India, she now stands tall as the CEO of Publicis Groupe’s Global Delivery.Mayoori Kango's Bollywood journeyMayoori’s mother was a noted theatre artiste, while visiting her mother in Mumbai, she came in contact with the irector Saeed Akhtar Mirza. He offered her a role in the 1995 film Naseem. She declined the role initially citing her HSC board exams but later agreed to do the film after some discussions with the director.The film went on to win two National Film Award for Best Direction and Best Screenplay. Her performance in the film captivated Mahesh Bhatt’s heart and he offered her the lead role in his next 1996 film Papa Kehte Hai. Even though the film’s box office performance was average, Mayoori’s performance garnered praise. After this, Mayoori established herself in the industry and went on to star in films like Betaabi, Hogi Pyaar Ki Jeet alongside Ajay Devgn, Vamsi alongside Mahesh Babu, and Badal alongside Bobby Deol and Rani Mukerji among others.She also featured in television shows like Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, Karishma – The Miracles of Destiny, Kkusum and Rangoli among others. At the height of her acting career, Mayoori decided to leave everything and choose a completely different path. In 2003, she married an NRI Aditya Dhillon and moved to the United States, where she decided to work further on her academic foundation. She pursued an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Baruch College, New York, graduating in 2007.Mayoori Kango living her corporate dreamsSoon after, she began her corporate journey with 360i, an American digital marketing company, as an Associate Media Manager, according to her LinkedIn profile. By 2009, she was working with Resolution Media, a New York–based advertising services provider, as a Supervisor. Just a year later, she moved to Digitas as Associate Director (Media), where she gained expertise in digital strategy and media planning.In 2012, Mayoori returned to India and joined Zenith as Chief Digital Officer, a role she held for five years. She then moved to Performics, a performance marketing agency under Publicis Groupe, where she served as Managing Director. Her next big leap came in 2019 when she joined Google India as Head of Industry-Agency Partnerships, managing collaborations with some of the world’s leading advertising networks. In August 2024, she expanded her portfolio at Google to lead as Industry Head for AI, Martech, and Media Solutions @MPT, and held the position till August 2025.Mayoori now CEO at Publicis GroupeOn August 25, Mayoori took to LinkedIn and shared that she has rejoined Publicis Groupe, this time as a CEO of its India Delivery Center and wrote, “I’m delighted to share that I’ve rejoined Publicis Groupe as part of the global executive leadership team for hashtag#Publicis Global Delivery (PGD). In this role, I’ll be partnering with the PGD Global team to shape our global solutions and services across media, tech, and digital—while also stepping up our AI practice. Having seen firsthand how AI is transforming the way we work, create, and connect, I’m especially excited about harnessing its potential to reimagine the future of marketing and media.”She added, "I’ll also be wearing a second hat as CEO for our India Delivery Center, where I’m looking forward to working with our talented teams to push boundaries, innovate, and create meaningful impact for Publicis clients worldwide. It feels great to be back — grateful for the warm welcome and excited for the journey ahead."Mayoori’s journey from a remarkable actor to a passionate marketer, now leading global strategy is nothing short of an inspiration.