National, May 29th: Play ‘N’ Learn, one of India’s leading edutainment destinations for children, has announced an unusual opening for a role that no corporate boardroom has ever seen – a Chief Excitement Officer (CEO). The only qualification candidates require is that they need to be between 2 and 7 years old and must take play very seriously.
In a landscape where children’s entertainment is often designed by adults in meetings rooms, Play ‘N’ Learn has taken a different approach by placing decision making, quite literally, in the hands of its youngest audience. The role has been conceptualised, with the intent of bringing real, unfiltered consumer insight into how play experiences are created and evolved.
“At Play ‘N’ Learn, we build spaces for children and have always believed that the best people to evaluate them are children themselves.” said Abbas Jabalpurwala, CEO, TEEG India “Through this initiative, we want to recognize play as a critical part of child’s development and celebrate the curiosity, imagination and natural leadership they bring into every experience. We’re not looking for the most articulate candidate or the most impressive resume. Instead, we’re looking for someone who lights up the moment they walk into a room and we’ll take their cues from there.”
With the simple belief that children don’t overthink play, they respond to it instinctively and honestly, the selected Chief Excitement Officer will play an active role in shaping the Play ‘N’ Learn experience. From exploring play zones and testing new formats to sharing instinctive feedback on what feels truly “amazing” or “boring,” the CEO will directly engage with the brand’s leadership team, offering unfiltered insights that help refine and elevate the experience.
The role also comes with a compensation package of thoughtfully curated perks befitting its title. Beyond an important looking nameplate, the journey itself begins with a family vacation to Singapore worth up to INR 3 lakhs, featuring a visit to Universal Studios as well. What’s more is that the selected CEO will also get first-hand access to ongoing product and experience reviews through a one-year play pass across Play ‘N’ Learn centres (*T&C apply).
Pooja Jauhari, CEO ‘N’ Founder, Emomee, Shared her perspective on the campaign and added: “At Emomee, we’ve always believed that the skills children will need to lead the future are very different from what traditional systems often reward today. Curiosity, confidence, imagination, emotional intelligence and the ability to bring joy into a room are all real leadership traits. Which is why we loved Play ‘N’ Learn’s idea of appointing a Chief Excitement Officer.
The month-long campaign, that commenced last evening, has also seen organic engagement from brands such as Timezone and Emomee, who joined the conversation with their own playful and contextual responses further reinforcing the cultural relevance of the idea.
Application Details:
Parents or guardians can nominate their child for the role of a CEO by submitting a short video on Instagram or Facebook, using the campaign hashtag #YoungestCEO, tagging @playnlearn_ind on Instagram or @playnlearn.ind on Facebook. Entries must showcase an exceptional enthusiasm for play, a strong opinion on what make play time more interesting or the ability to make any room a fun and joyful one. Applications are open till 29th June and the appointed CEO will be announced on 1st July 2026.
