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Category: People

  • Ravi Kumar elevated to a new role at AdLift

    Ravi Kumar elevated to a new role at AdLift

    MUMBAI: AdLift, a global digital marketing agency with offices in the US and in India has announced this year’s key elevation in its senior leadership team. The agency has promoted Ravi Kumar to Vice President, Business Development & Marketing. Based in India, he will report to Prashant Puri, CEO & Co-Founder, AdLift.

    “Ravi’s zeal and ardour to grow AdLift is invigorating. His commitment to drive strategies and achieve business objectives for our clients is unmatched,” said Prashant Puri. “We look forward to Ravi’s continued contribution to AdLift’s success.”

    A recognized thought-leader in the industry, Ravi has spoken at well-reputed conferences in digital marketing industry like IAMAI, Inkspell (DoD & MCube), COINS, iMedia, ad:tech etc. Recently, he was awarded the Top 50 most influential digital marketing leaders of 2017 by World Marketing Congress.

    Commenting on the appointment, Ravi Kumar, said, “I am very pleased to be appointed VP, Business Development and Marketing at AdLift. I look forward to working closely with our brands in delivering and achieving their business ambitions.”

  • Publicis India appoints Nishant Jethi as ECD

    Publicis India appoints Nishant Jethi as ECD

    MUMBAI: Publicis India today announced Nishant Jethi as its new executive creative director. Jethi, who will report to the company’s MD and COO Bobby Pawar, was a senior creative director at Ogilvy and Mather.

    Based out of Mumbai, Jethi will be responsible for not only raising the creative bar but also overlooking art and enhancing the work culture.

    His appointment is in line with the agency’s mandate to strengthen its creative function across various divisions given the influx of work from multiple brands like ZEE, Citibank, HDFC MF, Skoda, Nerolac, Bharti AXA etc. He will work alongside Ramakrishnan Hariharan, who had recently joined the agency as head of creative.

    Publicis India COO Bobby Pawar said, “Nishant is probably the sanest crazy man I’ve met. Beneath his rather sedate appearance lies a mind that zips along strange paths. His unique way to seeing things, great sense of design, a passion for making things with his own hands will help us elevate our game even more. The last time we worked together the agency we were at rocked. This time should be no different.”

    Publicis India MD Srija Chatterjee said, “The creative function at the agency is being repurposed to cater to the growing demands of Clients that are looking at integrated offerings in an innovative & real-time basis. We have been churning out some really great work in the past few months that are creating meaningful conversations in the marketplace and also aiding brands achieve their desired objective. Having resources like Nishant Jethi into our fold will only amplify the quality of our offering and put us on a higher pedestal to keep delivering more.”

    In a career spanning over 13 years, Jethi has worked with several leading agencies with an aim to create memorable pieces of work that strike an emotional chord with the audiences. At his best, Jethi has delivered award winning work for clients like Savlon, JSW Cement, Amazon-Kindle/Firestick/Echo, Dove etc.

    Prior to his Ogilvy stint, Jethi worked an associate creative director at DDB Mudra and Leo Burnett as art director. His body of work includes working on diverse brands like Radio City, Bajaj Electronics, ITC Hotels, Reliance MF, Bank of Baroda, Big Bazaar, Inorbit among others. 

    Commenting  on his new role Publicis India, Jethi said, “Publicis India has done some remarkable work in the past and it feels great to be a part of this intrinsic culture. I am thrilled to work with Bobby Pawar along with Ramakrishnan Hariharan, since I have worked closely with both of them before, and together I believe we can achieve new heights. I am happy with the team and clientele, and feel super charged for the journey ahead.” 

    Apart from work, Jethi uses his expertise to create meaningful work in the realm of arts and design. He is adept at creating hand-crafted wooden toys, as the design process of making them involves conceptualising, sketching, wood cutting, painting skills that come naturally to him.

  • MEDIACOM promotes Avinash Pillai to global leader trading and operation for team P&G

    MEDIACOM promotes Avinash Pillai to global leader trading and operation for team P&G

    MUMBAI: Avinash Pillai, who is a current P&G leader IMEA for MediaCom, has today been named global leader trading and operation for Team P&G.

    Pillai, who will continue to be based in Mumbai, has over 20 years of experience within media agency and in revenue functions with broadcaster and publisher. Pilllai will be responsible for driving efficiencies within operation and increase the effectiveness of P&G ‘s media investment across markets. He will report to Nihar Das global leader, team P&G at MediaCom.

    “This is the first global role in the network based out of India, and I am delighted to have Avi join the global team. He has delivered exceptional value for P&G over the years, and we look forward to spreading his excellence more widely across the network. His experience on both sides of the media table, as well as his attitude to ‘thrive in strife’ makes him uniquely suited for the role,” said Nahar Das.

    Commenting on his new role, Avinash Pillai said, “My journey with MediaCom over the last 8+ years has been one of constant learning and reinventing myself in the different roles and challenges that have been offered to me. I am especially glad to have been offered this role based in India due to my personal choice and am confident that I will achieve the results that we envisage with the support of my colleagues at MediaCom and the client team at P&G.” 

    Pillai is working with MediaCom from last 8 years as National Buying Head and was entrusted with the responsibility of setting up buying operations for MediaCom. In 2013, he went on to lead the India P&G AoR and in 2016 extended his remit to take on responsibility for the IMEA (India, Middle East and Africa) region.

  • Cheil India makes senior appointments

    Cheil India makes senior appointments

    MUMBAI: Advertising agency, Cheil India has appointment Moosa Khan and Nitin Pradhan to strengthen its senior creative leadership.

    Moosa Khan will now become the head of digital creative and Nitin Pradhan has taken on the role of senior executive creative director. Khan and Pradhan will both report to Cheil WW India chief creative officer, Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar.

    Mahabaleshwarkar mentions, “I am delighted to welcome Moosa and Nitin to our team. Both of them are exceptional creative talents to have on board. While Moosa has immense understanding of new age digital media, Nitin is a fantastic creative talent with great ability of storytelling. Most importantly, we all have a shared passion for creative excellence and digital innovation. With these beliefs firmly at the heart, Moosa and Nitin will be a tremendous asset to our bold creative ambitions.”

    Moosa Khan and Nitin Pradhan have joined Cheil WW India with the responsibility of inspiring and mentoring the creative and digital team to think big and embrace the agency’s philosophy of technology + creativity.

    Cheil WW India chief operating officer Atika Malik says, “We are the Agency of Now where creativity is inspired by technology.  I am extremely happy that Moosa and Nitin will add their digital capability, creativity and energy to Cheil.  I look forward to working closely with them to inspire new ideas and solutions for our progressive brands. For 15 years Cheil in India has provided brand solutions across retail, experiential, digital and communication to transform our client’s businesses.”

    Khan brings with him over 10 years of experience in digital as well as traditional advertising. He has worked across agencies such as Dentsu Webchutney, Madison, TBWA and Jack in the Box Worldwide. Some of the clients he’s worked with include Airtel, Whirlpool, United Nations, ITC, Panasonic, Times of India, Payback, Tetra Pak, Nissan, Microsoft & Pepsi. He has won multiple awards including metals at Goafest and the Kyoorius Creative Awards.

    Nitin Pradhan, a known name among the advertising fraternity, has 17 years of experience working with the best in the industry – Ogilvy, JWT, McCann, Leo Burnett and the likes. In addition to his diverse experience, he boasts of many accolades to his credit. An alumnus of MICA, he has to his credit many successful campaigns like – KBC Season 2 : Umeed Se Dugna, KBC Season 3 : Kuchh Sawaal Zindagi Badal Saktey Hain, Amaron, Bank of India (Rishton ki Jamapunji campaign) Tata Sky and Tata Sky Plus (campaigns featuring Aamir Khan), Red Label & 3 Roses Tea, Ceat tyres, Nestle Alpino, Maggi and Makemytrip among others.

     

  • Zeno Group Names Margaret Key as CEO, Asia Pacific

    Zeno Group Names Margaret Key as CEO, Asia Pacific

    MUMBAI: Zeno Group has appointed Margaret Key to the new position of CEO, Zeno Asia Pacific, effective today.

    In the newly-created CEO post, Key will join Zeno’s Global Leadership Team and oversee a growing staff of 135 professionals in India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia as well as the network of Zeno+ partners across the region.  Key brings extensive industry leadership experience throughout North and South Asia, most recently as CEO, Asia-Pacific for Burson-Marsteller.

    “We are thrilled to have someone of Margaret’s high profile and caliber join Zeno in Asia Pacific, a vitally important region as our business continues to expand and globalize,” said Barby K. Siegel, CEO of Zeno Group. “In addition to her deft leadership skills, Margaret understands the balance of local experience and global strategy.  This is especially important as more and more of our clients look to us for an integrated Asia solution.”

    Zeno’s client portfolio in APAC features world class brands such as Lenovo, Wuling Motors, Netflix, Intel, Prudential, Johnson & Johnson and Temasek.  Zeno in APAC offers a range of modern communications and earned media capabilities across consumer, technology and health sectors, with deep expertise in digital and analytics.

    Most recently, Key served as CEO, Asia Pacific at Burson-Marsteller, where she managed a diverse portfolio across 17 offices in eight countries. Previously, she served as MD for Edelman in Korea and Japan, and before that, held communications positions with Hyundai and Hilton in Seoul, Korea. Among her major client relationships, Key has counseled and led pan-Asia communications for Huawei, Ford Motor, Delta, Bayer and LG.

    “Zeno’s fearless, entrepreneurial culture is the perfect place for me, and the ideal opportunity at this time given their incredible momentum globally and commitment specifically to expanding in Asia,” said Key. “It’s also a welcome return for me to the Daniel J. Edelman family, where my career first began.”

    Key will be based in Seoul, Korea, her longtime home, with her husband and family.

  • Vimal Singh, Varun Khullar pair up for Happy mcgarrybowen’s Gurgaon team

    Vimal Singh, Varun Khullar pair up for Happy mcgarrybowen’s Gurgaon team

    MUMBAI: Happy mcgarrybowen, the creative idea shop from Dentsu Aegis Network, has appointed Vimal Singh as senior creative director and Varun Khullar as creative director for its Gurgaon creative team. Singh moves from Ogilvy, Gurgaon while Khullar moves from Happy mcgarrybowen Bangalore after a three year stint at the HQ to bolster operations at Happy mcgarrybowen Gurgaon.

    Singh started his career in advertising 14 years ago with Ogilvy Calcutta. Since then, he’s worked with various agencies like McCann Delhi, Contract advertising, and has done two stints with Ogilvy Gurgaon. He’s worked on numerous award-winning ideas for brands like Coca-Cola, Fanta, Mother Dairy, Domino’s Pizza, Google, Phillips, WWF, and many more. He’s no stranger to national and international accolades such as Cannes, Clio, Lurzer’s Archive, Envies and Goa Fest. His classy yet disruptive style and happy demeanour make him a perfect fit for Happy mcgarrybowen Gurgaon.

    On his new role Singh said, “I’ve always loved the kind of work Happy mcgarrybowen has done over a decade and when the opportunity to join the team came along, it didn’t take me a moment to grab it. And just a couple of days with the energetic, fun, happy shiny folks here, one realizes how aptly the place is called ‘Happy’ mcgarrybowen and how that shines in their work. I’m really excited about my role and have happily dived headfirst into it.”  

    Khullar graduated with an honours degree in Economics, but then decided that it was not his cup of tea. Khullar as been in the advertising world for the best part of the last decade with stints at Ogilvy, McCann, Creativeland Asia and currently at Happy mcgarrybowen. Over the years he has won various awards and handled a wide array of clients like Sprite, Appy Fizz, Flipkart, Honda, Ola, Myntra, KFC, Pizza Hut, Godrej Aer, and many more.

    Commenting on his appointment Khullar says “I’ve been a part of the bucktoothed brigade for a good three years now and each has been more interesting and challenging than the previous. I joined the Bangalore office as a glorified daydreamer who helps big brands sell their stuff. But the forging torches at Happy mcgarrybowen moulded and chiseled me into something resembling a creative director. And so I felt I was ready to carry the happy flag and their way of working to the newly minted Gurgaon office. The clients are new, the team is new but it has the same vibe. It is an ever-changing, ever-evolving organism that’s full of surprises. Like the opportunity of writing a quote for my first press release.”

    Co-founder and CEO  Kartik Iyer said, “It has been a little over six months since we started operations in Gurgaon. The response from the market and the results have been extremely encouraging. We are very happy to have the quality of talent that Vimal and Varun bring to the already energetic team at Happy mcgarrybowen Gurgaon. The fact that they have worked together before shows in the chemistry of how they work together. I look forward to them pushing the envelope of Happy’s creative product. We wish them all the best and look forward to many more successes at Happy mcgarrybowen Gurgaon.”

    Happy mcgarrybowen, Gurgaon currently handles the business of Suzuki Two wheelers, MG Motor Company and Jabong.com

  • Publicis India appoints Amit Shankar as new national creative director in Delhi

    Publicis India appoints Amit Shankar as new national creative director in Delhi

    MUMBAI: Publicis India has appointed Amit Shankar as a new national creative director in Delhi. He will replace the former head of creative Nitin Pradhan who quit the agency. Shankar will report to the Publicis India managing director and chief creative officer Bobby Pawar.

    Pawar said, “Over the last few years, our Delhi office has created some of the most talked about work for our biggest brands. Amit comes in at the right time. His mandate is to keep raising the creative bar and partner me in leading the agency into the new age of creativity. Given his talent, passion and pedigree I’m sure he will do great here.”

    Commenting on the appointment, Publicis India managing director Srija Chatterjee said “Amit joins us at an opportune time with our Delhi office witnessing some high-profile action with some key new business wins. His sharp creative reasoning and ability to throw ideas at you on a quick-fire basis is what makes him a talent to watch out for. We’re glad to have him into our fold and look forward to Delhi becoming a strong creative hotshop under his tutelage.”

    Before joining Publicis India he worked with J Walter Thompson-Gurgaon where he was senior vice president & ECD. Shankar will work towards scaling up the creative offering from New Delhi and provide effective and transformational solutions to a host of brands across categories including Maggi, Nestle, Cera, SpiceJet, Ralco Tyres etc.

    Commenting on his role, Shankar said, “I’m quite excited about joining Publicis India. Whatever I do here, I want to keep creativity at the heart of it. I believe that in today’s dynamic marketing landscape two things are important – a great supply of disruptive ideas and speed of execution. I want to bring these to the agency. I’m also a big believer in the power of momentum. If we start doing good work, better things follow.

    In his 21-year-young advertising stint, he has worked with leading agencies like Grey (including Trikaya), Contract and J. Walter Thompson. Microsoft Windows XP, Domino’s Pizza, NIIT, Honda Cars, Honda Two Wheelers, Hyundai, General Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Jaypee Cement, Pedigree, GlaxoSmithKline, Proctor & Gamble, FujiFilm, National Geographic, HeroMoto Corp, Times of India, Nestle, ITC, India Today, Government of India, Whirlpool, SpiceJet, Hindustan Times and Revlon are some of the marquee brands he has contributed to. He is equally proud of nurturing challenger brands like Intex Mobiles, Creambell ice Cream, Kwality Dairy Best, Manforce, SetWet Deodorants, Franke Faber and Jubilant Organosys.

    In his earlier leadership role as an ECD, Amit is widely credited with reigniting the creative department of Grey, Delhi virtually from the scratch and bagging the office’s first Cannes Lions and Ad fest metals. And, bringing in over 15 new brands into the agency’s fold.

  • The 120 Media Collective announces top management changes

    The 120 Media Collective announces top management changes

    MUMBAI: Roopak Saluja’s  The 120 Media Collective, one of India’s most impactful digitally oriented agencies, has today announced senior level promotions within the organisation.

    Jack in the Box Worldwide president Kaizad Pardiwalla has been elevated to president and COO. Pardiwalla brings with him 24 years of experience in the advertising world and has been with The Leo Burnett Group, where he ran Orchard India; Lowe Lintas; Grey and Ogilvy, where he headed OgilvyOne nationally.  In addition to leading the content and communication group’s agency business, he will now oversee its integrated digital video content offering, as well as the scaling up of its content marketing and platforms client base.

    The 120 Media Collective founder and CEO Roopak Saluja said, “As The 120 Media Collective moves into its next phase of growth, where creating content for business impact is our holy grail, it is imperative to allocate responsibility and build accountability across the group. Kaizad has been an exemplary partner to me and has led JITB to new heights since he came on board in 2016. Rishi and Praveen have proven their ability to inspire teams and get stuff done, allowing us to deliver the level of output that has come to be expected of us over time. This year has already been one of great momentum for 120MC, with new client acquisitions across financial services, healthcare and our traditional stronghold, FMCG. We have set lofty goals for ourselves for 2020 and these developments will take us a few steps closer in achieving them.”

    Integrated Operations associate director Rishi Sen has been promoted to chief of staff at The 120 Media Collective. Aside from leading traffic and internal operations, his new role entails working closely with Saluja and Pardiwalla to manage growth and innovation, strategic partnerships and corporate communications. Sen comes with 11 years of experience in media, events and advertising and has been at The 120 Media Collective for four years.

    Associate creative director Praveen Nair has been promoted to creative director, Jack in the Box Worldwide. Prior to JITB, Nair helmed the creative teams at Isobar and Grey Digital. Through his career, he has worked on multiple award winning campaigns on brands like Bournvita, Volkswagen and Tata Motors, to name a few. He will now lead JITB’s copy and social media teams, driving excellence across all of its clients.

  • Dabur India signs Kriti Sanon for Fem

    Dabur India signs Kriti Sanon for Fem

    MUMBAI: Dabur India has signed Bollywood actor Kriti Sanon as the new brand ambassador for its skin care brand Fem. A new campaign, featuring Kriti Sanon, will be launched shortly.

    Dabur India marketing head of skin care Rohit Prakash Gupta says, “We are very excited to appoint Kriti Sanon as Fem’s new face. Fem, which is the market leader in the category, has been continuously innovating in terms of product, packaging and communication. As a brand that offers its consumer the promise and satisfaction of delivering natural glow to their skin and enhances her beauty, Fem has always recognised and strived to meet the ever-evolving needs of our consumers.”

    Actor Kriti Sanon adds, “As a consumer, I have been associated with Dabur for years now. So, it gives me great pleasure to be associated with a large beauty brand like Fem and be the face for the brand.”

    Dabur had recently expanded the Fem facial bleach range with the launch of the premium Fem De-Tan Crème Bleach, which is specially formulated and enriched with the goodness of Orange Peel extracts to enhance beauty by removing tan in 15 minutes, giving your skin long-lasting radiance.

  • Albert Almeida appointed COO of BookMyShow non-movies

    Albert Almeida appointed COO of BookMyShow non-movies

    Mumbai: Albert Almeida has been appointed as COO non-movies of BookMyShow (BMS). The new role has been carved out at a time when BMS is taking the lead in building and nurturing an ecosystem for theatre, sports, music concerts and other live experiences and events thereby giving its existing loyal movie going customer base and newer audiences a lot more entertainment choices.

    In his new role, Almeida will report to Ashish Hemrajani, founder and CEO of BMS and will lead the next phase of growth and expansion for the company. Albert will drive efficiency and agility within BMS to ensure there’s a sharp focus on each of the non-movie verticals. He will also work with existing and new partners to give consumers access to some of the biggest and most unique entertainment experiences and will be responsible in identifying untapped growth opportunities in the market. 

    Hemrajani says, “We are excited to have Albert on board and welcome him to BookMyShow. I first worked with him from 1997-1999 and we have stayed friends. Now, as we set out to create, develop and bring to India entertainment experiences which are on par with the best in the world, I am very fortunate to have a talented and experienced colleague to work with alongside. We look forward to setting new standards in this space and are absolutely confident that Albert has the ability to lead this journey.” 

    Commenting on his new appointment Almeida said, “I am delighted to join the BookMyShow team and look forward to my new role. BookMyShow, over the years, has established itself as a loved brand with clear market leadership. As a loyal consumer of the service I have seen how BookMyShow has constantly redefined the space it operates in and has set a clear vision and roadmap for the entertainment lifecycle of its customers. We see a huge opportunity in the non-movie entertainment space and are committed to driving the next phase of growth from here. I am excited to be a part of this journey as we diversify into new avenues of entertainment.”

    Albert Almeida brings with him over 25 years of experience having worked with eminent broadcast, digital media and adverting giants before joining BookMyShow. In his last assignment as COO- Hungama Digital Media Pvt Ltd, he led Hungama Mobile’s domestic and international businesses. He also worked as executive vice president with Sony Entertainment Television for over half a decade during which he led the SET and MAX brands. Before this, he spent over a decade with J Walter Thompson in various roles, the last being as vice president and regional account director on the Unilever business.