Material Holdings

Material Holdings

Insights-driven operating system for growth marketing

Overview

Material Holdings provides marketing and digital experience services driven by consumer insights. It builds an insights-driven operating system at the core of clients’ design, go-to-market, and digital experiences, translating consumer intelligence into demand generation actions. This approach connects understanding of consumers with marketing priorities to guide when and where to act, helping ambitious brands achieve smarter growth and profitable, lasting customer relationships. The company differentiates itself by embedding insights directly into marketing execution and experience priorities, instead of offering generic services, and aims to enable clients to see exactly when to take the critical actions that count.

About Material Holdings

Simplify's Rating
Why Material Holdings is rated
B-
Rated B on Competitive Edge
Rated B on Growth Potential
Rated C on Differentiation

Industries

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Founded

1973

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • May 2026 CFO hire signals capital discipline for expansion and acquisitions.
  • April 2026 APAC president appointment expands reach across faster-growing enterprise markets.
  • Recent awards and Optimizely partnership strengthen lead generation with large corporate buyers.

What critics are saying

  • Private-equity ownership demands faster growth, forcing margin pressure and restructuring by 2027.
  • APAC expansion under Raman Kalra risks costly integration if client wins lag.
  • Boutique-services demand weakens quickly; without scale, Material becomes a commoditized consulting asset.

What makes Material Holdings unique

  • Blackstone-backed Material combines consumer insights, strategy, design, and platform engineering.
  • Laila Worrell and Ranjan Kalia joined in 2026, strengthening global execution.
  • Material won 2026 Medallia, ESOMAR, and Optimizely partnership credibility.

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Benefits

Hybrid Work Options

Company News

Material
May 19th, 2026
Material Welcomes Ranjan Kalia as Chief Financial Officer

Material Welcomes Ranjan Kalia as Chief Financial Officer - New CFO brings strong global finance leadership to support clients in the company's future growth - New York, NY - May 19, 2026 - Material Plus Holdings, LLC (Material), an intelligent growth company providing AI-driven consumer insights, growth strategy, product design and digital platform engineering, is pleased to welcome Ranjan Kalia as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Kalia's appointment comes as Material continues to scale its global capabilities, helping clients harness the power of data and AI to deliver demand-centric growth. A three-time CFO with more than 30 years of experience, Kalia brings incisive financial perspectives and operational command shaped by senior leadership roles across both public companies and private-equity owned enterprises. Laila Worrell, Material's CEO, stated, "Ranjan's leadership as CFO will play a pivotal role in our next phase of growth, as we invest to deliver even greater innovation and value for our clients. He brings a global, results-oriented mindset and a strong track record scaling tech-enabled services businesses. He will be a tremendous partner in executing Material's strategy and creating exceptional outcomes for our clients." Kalia will partner with Material's executive team to advance the company's continued global expansion and investment in AI and data capabilities. Kalia commented, "Material sits at a powerful intersection of customer data, behavioral and decision science, product design and platform engineering. Material is in a category-of-one in bringing these differentiated capabilities together to drive growth for clients. I am energized by the company's momentum, the caliber of its people and its longstanding client relationships with the world's most influential companies. The opportunity ahead is significant, and I look forward to helping Material continue to capture it." About Ranjan Kalia, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Ranjan Kalia joins Material with more than 30 years of experience leading finance organizations across global businesses. Most recently, Kalia was CFO at Brillio, and before that at Orion Innovation and Virtusa Corporation, where he was a central figure in scaling Virtusa's business from roughly $100 million to $1.2 billion in revenue. Earlier in his career, Kalia held senior finance and operational leadership roles at EMC Corporation, General Electric Company, PepsiCo, Inc., and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, building a foundation in global finance, audit and operations. About Material

AInvest Fintech Inc.
Apr 22nd, 2026
Material appoints Raman Kalra as President of Asia Pacific.

Material appoints Raman Kalra as President of Asia Pacific. Wednesday, Apr 22, 2026 1:34 pm ET 1min read Material, an intelligent growth company, has appointed Raman Kalra as President of Asia Pacific. Kalra will lead the company's operations in the region, providing AI-driven data- and technology-enabled solutions to clients. Kalra has over 30 years of experience in strategy, technology, and enterprise growth, and will partner with global teams to deliver Material's full strategy-to-execution capabilities to clients across the region. Material, an intelligent growth company, has appointed Raman Kalra as President of Asia Pacific, a role in which he will oversee the company's operations in the region and lead the delivery of AI-driven, data- and technology-enabled solutions to clients. Kalra brings over 30 years of experience in strategy, technology, and enterprise growth, having previously served as a Senior Partner at IBM Consulting, where he led business transformation initiatives across multiple industries. In his new role, Kalra will collaborate with global teams to provide Material's full suite of strategy-to-execution capabilities to clients across the Asia Pacific region according to company announcements. Kalra's career has spanned leadership roles in consulting, technology, and innovation, with a focus on leveraging digital tools and AI to drive business outcomes. His recent work has included advising on plant-based wellness initiatives and exploring the intersection of AI and consulting. His appointment aligns with Material's mission to deliver intelligent, data-driven solutions that support enterprise growth and transformation. The materials science and technology sectors have seen significant investment in recent months, with startups like Whizzo securing USD 15 million in Series A funding. This trend highlights the growing importance of AI and advanced technologies in driving innovation and operational efficiency across industries. As the Asia Pacific region continues to emerge as a key market for AI and digital transformation, Kalra's leadership is expected to play a pivotal role in advancing Material's strategic objectives in the region. Ask Aime: What is the potential impact of Raman Kalra's appointment as President of Asia Pacific on Material's stock performance? Aime insights. How does R&D spending compare among semiconductor leaders over years? Which renewable energy stocks have analyst buy recommendations? Between Microsoft and Google, which is better for long-term holding?

Yahoo Finance
Apr 22nd, 2026
Material appoints Raman Kalra as president for Asia Pacific region

Material, an intelligent growth company, has appointed Raman Kalra as President for Asia Pacific. The move supports Material's global expansion as it delivers consumer data, insights, brand strategy and product innovation services across the region. Kalra brings over 30 years of experience in strategy, technology and enterprise growth. He previously served as a senior partner with IBM and PwC Consulting, leading AI-driven growth strategies for global brands. Most recently, he headed Business Transformation Services for IBM in India and South Asia. In his new role, Kalra will lead Material's APAC operations, partnering with global teams to deliver the company's insights, design and marketing technology capabilities to clients. Material, which has 50 years of experience in market research and behavioural science, helps companies anticipate market shifts and influence consumer behaviour.

Morningstar
Mar 20th, 2025
Material Welcomes Oscar Yuan as Chief Strategy and Growth Officer

Material, a growth strategy company providing consumer data and insights, brand strategy and product innovation, is pleased to announce the appointment of Oscar Yuan as Chief Strategy and Growth Officer.

The Item
Mar 18th, 2025
Material Appoints Laila Worrell as Chief Executive Officer

Material, a growth strategy company providing consumer data and insights, brand strategy and product innovation, today announced the appointment of Laila Worrell as Chief Executive Officer.

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