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Category: People

  • Anil Nair joins VMLY&R as India CEO

    Anil Nair joins VMLY&R as India CEO

    MUMBAI: Global marketing agency VMLY&R today announced the appointment of Anil Nair as CEO, VMLY&R India. Based out of the Mumbai office, he will report to VMLY&R Asia co-CEO Tripti Lochan, who is based in Singapore. He will oversee VMLY&R’s India operation, driving growth and building on VMLY&R’s fully integrated service offering spanning creative, technology and data services.

    An influential marketing industry leader, Nair brings with him more than 24 years of advertising and digital experience, most recently as CEO (digital) and managing partner for Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi India.

    Nair was a part of the founding team at Law and Kenneth (L&K) Communications in 2002. He is recognised for his role in helping build Law & Kenneth Communications from the ground up into India’s largest independent agency, prior to its merger with Saatchi & Saatchi in 2014. Since that time, Anil has been responsible for growing the Saatchi & Saatchi business and integrated practice in India, with a focus on strategic planning, brand stewardship, and digital transformation.

    Lochan said on his appointment, “We are committed to cultivating truly connected brands that generate real ROI for our clients and their clients. Anil comes to us with the right vision and experience to make this happen, marrying strategy with an understanding of the brand, digital, and commerce. He boasts an exemplary record for driving agency excellence and innovation while exhibiting a deep understanding of the Indian marketplace. This is an exciting time for VMLY&R as we continue to flourish in India, and I can think of no one better to lead the way.”

    Commenting on his appointment, Nair said, “At a time when consumer behaviour and demand continues to evolve in line with advancing technology, VMLY&R. with its “marketing-company meets creative-agency” rigour, represents a breath of fresh air for its clients via a service offering which is arguably the most relevant, necessary, and contemporary in the market today. It’s an honour to join the VMLY&R family at such an exciting time, and I look forward to playing my part in VMLY&R’s continued success story in India.”

    Nair joins the agency in the wake of a flurry of senior hires in recent months, following the appointment of Kevin Lobo as executive creative director, VMLY&R India, and Sujay Kar as commerce group lead, VMLY&R SEA & India.

  • Vijay Shenoy re-joins Langoor as SVP – strategy & business development

    Vijay Shenoy re-joins Langoor as SVP – strategy & business development

    MUMBAI: Langoor, a full-service digital-first agency made of creative technologists, has appointed Vijay Shenoy as senior vice president, strategy and business development. Shenoy had previously enjoyed a fruitful stint with Langoor after which he was associated with WATConsult, as its AVP for Southern region, before his reappointment.

    Shenoy brings with him more than fourteen years of experience in the digital marketing industry – developing deep insights, building brands and understanding the art of decoding human behaviour. During his earlier association with Langoor, Shenoy was responsible for new avenues of business growth, apart from leading their design and innovation practice. In his last stint with WATConsult, Shenoy spearheaded new business initiatives and managed existing client relationships including their strategy and delivery.

    Speaking on his re-appointment, Langoor CEO Venugopal Ganganna said “We are delighted to have Vijay back with us. He has been a pillar of the leadership team and we are confident that his deep understanding of Indian consumers and cultural insights will fuel our growth plans.”

    Talking about his role, Vijay Shenoy, says, “It's great to be back home. Langoor team has always helped me identify my strengths and leverage them. The intersection of data, creativity and technology is what excites me, and I am looking forward to my second innings, to explore and be a part of our amazing growth journey.”

  • Aamir Khan announced as PhonePe brand ambassador

    Aamir Khan announced as PhonePe brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: PhonePe, India’s fastest growing payments platform, today announced Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan as the face of its brand. PhonePe is also an official co-presenting sponsor for the television broadcast of VIVO IPL 2019 and will be launching a series of new TV ads featuring Aamir Khan during this season. Khan's presence in the TV ads and his mass appeal as a national icon will help PhonePe create awareness about the benefits of digital payments for users across India.

    Commenting on the announcement PhonePe CEO and founder Sameer Nigam said, “Aamir Khan is among the world’s biggest superstars today. He is a highly renowned actor who is known for doing path-breaking work in his industry. In his personal capacity too, Aamir has been instrumental in creating awareness about many important social issues in India. His name is synonymous with sincerity, hard work, and dedication to his craft. These are values that are completely in sync with PhonePe’s ethos of trust, security, and reliability, therefore we felt that Aamir is the perfect brand ambassador for our company as we look to introduce Digital Payments to a billion Indians.”

    “We are also very excited to be part of VIVO IPL 2019. Cricket is the most popular sport in the country and VIVO IPL is the biggest sporting event of the year. Thus, we feel it is a great platform for us to launch our new brand campaign with Aamir and create awareness about the PhonePe platform,” he added.

    “PhonePe stands for innovation and trust and has been instrumental in simplifying digital payments for millions of Indians in a very short span of time. I have closely been following PhonePe’s amazing journey and am delighted to be a part of their phenomenal growth trajectory,” said Khan.

  • Fanmojo announces association with Prithvi Shaw

    Fanmojo announces association with Prithvi Shaw

    MUMBAI: Keeping an eye on the rising popularity of fantasy sports in India, Fanmojo, a part of U2opia Global, announced its association with the young prodigy of Indian cricket-Prithvi Shaw. It has also created a youthful film for digital and social media, encouraging his fans to play on FanMojo, use their skills, and earn rewards. The film is conceptualised and created by River Advertising.

    With this association FanMojo aims to strengthen its outreach to the legions of Indian cricket fans in the country.

    Commenting on the association, U2opia Global co-founder and group CEO Sumesh Menon said, “We are proud to collaborate with the very talented Prithvi Shaw, who shares in our common belief system – Kaabil Jo, Khiladi Wo. More importantly, our fans are his fans. We are rooting for his success.”

    Sharing his delight on the collaboration, commented, “I am happy to be a part of FanMojo which is one of the fastest growing fantasy sports platforms. I decided to associate with FanMojo as we have synergies in terms of the values and ideology that I follow in life. I am sure that FanMojo with its innovation in the space of fantasy sports will take it the next level.”

  • Morris Garages India announces Benedict Cumberbatch as brand ambassador

    Morris Garages India announces Benedict Cumberbatch as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Marque carmaker MG (Morris Garages) India has announced its association with the revered British actor Benedict Cumberbatch as its brand ambassador. The acclaimed actor – known for his stellar roles in various popular TV shows and movies will be the face of MG India.

    MG India managing director and CEO Rajeev Chaba said, “As one of the most recognised and beloved cultural icons from the UK, Benedict has a lot in common with Morris Garages. He has, throughout his career, experimented with various types of roles across stage productions, TV shows and movies to push the bar ever higher, something which resonates with MG’s commitment to technological innovation. His social and philanthropic work, as well as his support for inclusivity beyond gender is also in sync with our core brand ideology of nurturing diversity. We are glad to have Benedict Cumberbatch as our brand ambassador to represent MG.”

    Cumberbatch commented on the association with MG brand, “I have grown up seeing and reading about MGB’s and MG Midgets, recognising MG as a classic and iconic brand. I am delighted to be part of the launch of the new MG in India with the MG Hector, which may well be a classic of the future.”

    Cumberbatch follows a strong resonance among pop culture and youth. The association further underlines MG’s unique British heritage and its focus on enabling the future with the core pillars of innovation, diversity and technology.

  • Weber Shandwick appoints Nikhil Dey as vice chair in india

    Weber Shandwick appoints Nikhil Dey as vice chair in india

    MUMBAI: Weber Shandwick, one of the world's leading global communications and marketing solutions firms, today announced the appointment of Nikhil Dey as vice chair of the firm’s India operations. Dey will focus on shaping the firm’s employee experience, strengthening existing client relationships and creating opportunities for global clients in India.

    Dey will be part of the firm’s India leadership board, working with senior leadership across the Asia Pacific region – including Valerie Pinto, CEO of Weber Shandwick India – to build synergies and service outcomes. 

    “With Nikhil’s depth of knowledge and experience, we aim to significantly grow our talent base, revenue streams and continue to lead with a client-first approach to deliver stronger and higher value to our clients,” said Baxter Jolly, CEO of Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific. “We are also tremendously proud of our achievements in India under Valerie’s leadership and are extremely bullish on our potential in the India market. We believe this combination of strengths will be unbeatable in the market and will enable us to grow significantly in India.”

    Pinto also commented, “Building Weber Shandwick as a strong employer brand with a work environment that attracts the best talent to our profession is an integral part of our growth strategy in India. Our people are an essential part of the firm, and creativity is the foundation of everything we do. Nikhil, with his unmatched knowledge and expertise will help us further build our culture of creativity and collaboration. Along with this, he will help the agency to continue to provide our clients with unique solutions and a forward-thinking approach to their communications challenges.”

  • Unilever elevates Nitin Paranjpe as COO and Sanjiv Mehta as president, South Asia

    Unilever elevates Nitin Paranjpe as COO and Sanjiv Mehta as president, South Asia

    MUMBAI: Unilever recently promoted its president for foods and refreshment Nitin Paranjpe to the post of chief operating officer. In his new role, Paranjpe will be responsible for Unilever’s go-to-market organisations, driving and co-ordinating in-year performance across their countries in line with the company’s divisional strategies.

    Hanneke Faber will take up the role of president foods and refreshment post him. Faber was previously appointed as president for the Europe region.

    There have been several other key appointments and reshuffles in the top management of the global giant.

    Sanjiv Mehta, who was earlier the EVP South Asia, has now been elevated to the post of president for the same region. He will be joining the Unilever Leadership Executive, bringing emerging markets expertise to the executive team.

    Peter Ter Kulve, chief digital officer and EVP South East Asia and Australasia (SEAA), has been appointed president, home care. He will be replacing Kees Kruythoff who has decided to leave Unilever after 27 years of service.

    The roles of President Europe and EVP SEAA will not be replaced. The country organisations in these regions will report into the COO.

    All changes will be effective from 1 May.

  • L&K Saatchi & Saatchi strengthens team

    L&K Saatchi & Saatchi strengthens team

    MUMBAI: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi has announced the appointment of Trishay Kotwal, erstwhile unit creative director, Lowe Lintas Mumbai, as its executive creative director. In his new role, he will be reporting to L&K Saatchi & Saatchi joint national creative director Kartik Smetacek.

    Over the past fifteen years he has worked in New Delhi and Mumbai, across a number of creative agencies including, Lowe, McCann Erickson, and Draft FCB. With experience in varied sectors such as FMCG, automobiles, beauty and broadcast, some of the noteworthy brands he has handled are General Motors, Tata Motors, L’Oreal Paris, Sharp, Star Sports and Byju’s.

    Trishay Kotwal commented on his appointment saying, “I was convinced by Anil and Kartik’s vision for the agency and felt it was the right time and that this is the right place. The opportunity at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi is immense and I look forward to contributing meaningfully to the agency’s creative output.”

    Also, Arthi Basak erstwhile AVP, FCB Interface has joined L&K Saatchi & Saatchi as VP – strategy and planning. In her new role, she will be reporting to L&K Saatchi & Saatchi executive director-planning Snehasis Bose.

    Her prominent work includes campaigns on Cadbury Oreo, Nivea, Nivea Men, Mahindra & Mahindra, Swaraj Tractors, Blue Star, Huggies, Monash University, Godrej Sara Lee.

    Arthi Basak commented, “What struck me about LKSS is this rare combination of a network agency which also has the dynamism of an entrepreneurial setup. I look forward to opening up a new chapter in my career working at this young and energetic organisation.”

    L&K Saatchi & Saatchi CEO and managing partner Anil S Nair said, “I am very excited to welcome two exceptional talents Arthi and Trishay to L&K Saatchi & Saatchi. Both have immense experience & fantastic skills in their respective fields which will be of great value to our wide range of brands across many categories. I look forward to them raising the bar even higher for us.”

  • Dentsu Aegis Network’s Vivek Bhargava adds one more feather to his cap!

    Dentsu Aegis Network’s Vivek Bhargava adds one more feather to his cap!

    Mumbai, 13 March 2019:Vivek Bhargava, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) Performance Group, has had a fantastic start to the year 2019 with his team Flying Falcon winning the top spot in the Mumbai Games.

    The tournament, presented by SportzConsult that aims to bring together the people of Mumbai to give them a chance to play, is touted to be the world’s first city level franchise-based, multi-aged sports extravaganza.

    Flying Falcon, co-owned by Vivek Bhargava and Rohan Timblo, CEO at PitchVision, secured the top position in the Elite Cup of Mumbai Games after beating 7 teams. The Elite group comprised the top 200 players in Maharashtra,which were bought by the different franchises at the Elite Player Auction. The Elite division had both male and female players in the sports of basketball, football, TT, tennis, carrom, badminton and chess. 

    Commenting on the win, Vivek Bhargava, CEO, DAN Performance Group and co-owner of Flying Falcon said, “I believe that one needs to follow his or her passion – be it work, personal or both. I run a successful business but that has never stopped me from realising and living my other passions. Such events help people – like me too, to participate and live the dream. Hope to see many more wins with my brilliant team. We at Flying Falcons are proud to win the inaugural Elite Championship.”

  • Ranjeev Vij joins Ogilvy Delhi as managing partner

    Ranjeev Vij joins Ogilvy Delhi as managing partner

    MUMBAI:  Ogilvy has announced the appointment of Ranjeev Vij as managing partner of its Delhi office. In his new role, Vij will report in to Kapil Arora and will be responsible for the running of the Delhi office operations along with recently appointed managing partner, Amarinder Butalia.

    The Ogilvy Group-North president Kapil Arora said, “I am glad to welcome Ranjeev into the Ogilvy family. With his rich and varied experience, he brings to the table a great combination of brand building capability and modern marketing knowhow, both skills that will greatly benefit our clients in Delhi.”    

    Speaking on his appointment, Ranjeev Vij said, “Ogilvy is like homecoming for me. The energy and the enthusiasm each person in the organization has for creativity and craft is exceptional and I have unshakable faith in its talent. I believe with my hybrid work experience, I will be able to add value to our clients and deliver on the One Ogilvy vision – that helps bridge the gap between traditional and digital landscape and envisages an integrated offering built around client needs.”

    With over 24 years of experience across advertising, digital, consulting, and PR, Vij was leading the Zeno Group in India, in his previous role. Besides contributing to and shaping a number of brand journeys, He is also responsible for the setting up of Proximity – BBDO India’s Digital, CRM arm and also for starting the Digital Marketing Services unit for Cognizant in the UK, in his earlier stints.