Exclusive: Schbang’s CCO Umma Saini exits; joins PhonePe

Umma Saini, Chief Creative Officer at Schbang, has stepped down from her role, marking another leadership departure at the independent agency. She has now moved to PhonePe as Director-Creative and Content. During her tenure at Schbang, Saini was responsible for sharpening the agency’s creative edge and scaling its recognition on the awards stage.

Three months ago, Saini bagged 18 metals and 46 shortlists, 8 Elephants at Kyoorius, and Top 10 rankings at the Abbys across five disciplines. In a LinkedIn post, she also pointed to a 70% rise in Schbang’s Creative Agency of the Year ranking, with the agency moving up to No.11 within a year.

Her exit follows a spate of senior movements at Schbang in 2025. In April, co-founder Akshay Gurnani stepped down after a decade. In May, Sushant Vithaldas ended his 7-year stint with the agency.

Saini’s career spans agencies and global tech. Before joining Schbang, she was Brand & Creative Lead, India at Google. She began as a copywriter at Saints and Warriors, later moving to Ogilvy & Mather as Creative Supervisor, and has also served as Creative Director at BBDO Singapore and BBDO India.

Saini’s move reflects the growing wave of creative leaders transitioning to brand-side roles, as companies increasingly invest in building in-house creative and content firepower.