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Category: People

  • RAPP India appoints Lowe’s Kabir Ahmed as group director

    RAPP India appoints Lowe’s Kabir Ahmed as group director

    MUMBAI: DDB Mudra Group’s agency RAPP India has appointed Kabir Ahmed as group director- brand communication.

     

    Ahmed joins RAPP India from Lowe, Mumbai where he was brand services director.

     

    At RAPP India, Ahmed will be managing clients across the agency’s portfolio and report to RAPP India president Venkat Mallik.

     

    Ahmed said, “For me, it was to look at doing something different in advertising. At RAPP India, the true sense of 360 degree, including the digital exercise on a brand, approach to marketing communications and the sheer magnitude of work done for its clients excited me. I look forward to add value to these processes.”

     

    Mallik added, “RAPP India is going through its next phase of growth with a number of new business wins and a truly fabulous array of clients and spread of work. In a typical workday our life moves from a digital assignment to one involving Data and consumer engagement and then to a classical brand-building task. It’s a truly exciting period of time when we need people with deep passion for the communications business supported with a high level of energy and versatility. Kabir brings in just the right blend of enthusiasm and experience for the period ahead.”

     

    Backed with an experience of over nine years, Ahmed has worked for both, brand communication and creative execution for clients across agencies like Percept/H, DDB Mudra, Chennai, and Art Advertising, Mumbai.

  • Razorfish names Bharatesh Salian as Mumbai & Bangalore head

    Razorfish names Bharatesh Salian as Mumbai & Bangalore head

    MUMBAI: Razorfish vice president Bharatesh Salian has been given the additional responsibility to oversee the agency’s Mumbai and Bangalore operations.

     

    The move comes in the wake of Razorfish India senior vice president Manoj Mansukhani’s recent resignation. Salian will take over from Mansukhani with immediate effect.

     

    Razorfish India CEO Charulata Ravi Kumar said, “It has been less than two months since Bharatesh joined Razorfish. However, his exemplary experience, meticulous planning and fine leadership abilities makes him the perfect candidate for taking over our Mumbai and Bangalore branches. I believe he will excel at the new role, which he in spirit was already performing since day one.” 

     

    “I am excited about this new role and leading the Mumbai and Bangalore offices. It is truly motivating to be given such immense responsibility and I am confident that I will be able to deliver Razorfish’s ambitious plans for India,” Salian added.

     

    Prior to joining Razorfish, Salian was with VivaConnect as chief strategy officer.

     

  • Airtel Money appoints Manish Khera as CEO

    Airtel Money appoints Manish Khera as CEO

    MUMBAI: YTS Solutions co-founder and MD Manish Khera has been roped in as Airtel Money CEO. Khera will be a part of the Airtel Management Board and report to Bharti Airtel (India & South Asia) MD & CEO Gopal Vittal.

     

    Vittal said, “I am delighted to announce that Manish Khera will join AMSL as chief executive officer. A trend-setter in the domain areas of financial inclusion, payments & banking, Manish combines the spirit of entrepreneurship with a passion for technology and commitment to serve millions. I am confident that his rich domain expertise will add immense value to our plans and help lead our mobile commerce and payments business to reach millions of underserved Indians.”

     

    Khera added, “I was fortunate to go through the retail banking explosion in the early part of my career, and then to drive a host of financial inclusion initiatives in the country under the guidance of banking stalwarts. I am now excited at the opportunity of working with India’s largest telecom company and leading its vision of delivering a transformed m-Commerce experience for million across the country.”

  • Ambi MG Parameswaran re-elected as AAAI president

    Ambi MG Parameswaran re-elected as AAAI president

    MUMBAI: Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has re-elected FCB Ulka Advertising executive director Ambi MG Parameswaran as president for the year 2015 – 2016.

     

    Additionally, Publicis Communications CEO-South Asia Nakul Chopra was also re-elected as vice president of the association.

     

    Parameswaran and Chopra were re-elected at AAAI’s annual general body meeting held on 31 July, 2015.

     

    The other members of the executive committee are as follows: Ashish Bhasin, CVL Srinivas, Ganesh Baliga, Jaideep Gandhi, Kunal Lalani, Nagesh Alai, Pranav Premnarayen, R Sridhar, Rana Barua, Sam Balsara, Srinivasan K Swamy, Tarun Rai and Vivek Srivastava.

     

    AAAI immediate past president Arvind Sharma will be the ex-officio member of the new AAAI executive committee.

  • JWT appoints Gaurav Lalwani as APAC business director for J&J

    JWT appoints Gaurav Lalwani as APAC business director for J&J

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson has appointed Gaurav Lalwani to the role of Asia Pacific business director on the agency’s Johnson & Johnson portfolio, which includes Listerine and other J&J over-the-counter brands.

     

    Lalwani’s appointment reflects the agency’s expanded remit on J&J’s Listerine business across the Asia Pacific region.

     

    Based in Singapore, Lalwani will head up a new team servicing Listerine across APAC, and will also work with J. Walter Thompson’s global Listerine team in New York.

     

    Lalwani, who has over 15 years of integrated brand experience across FMCG, prestige skin care, automotive, and the financial services sectors, joins J. Walter Thompson from Leo Burnett Singapore, where he was senior regional director for integrated content on the agency’s SK-II and P&G fabric care brands across Asia.

     

    He was responsible for launching SK-II’s #ChangeDestiny platform across Asia, and led the collaboration with Huffington Post and Fitch to take #ChangeDestiny across digital and in-store platforms. Lalwani also led the creation of the first ever voice-based mobile platform for Tide in India, this drove the brand’s purchase intent, and consumption.

     

    “Lalwani is joining the agency after a period of significant growth and his appointment is a reflection of our drive to further strengthen the senior team at JWT. I am thrilled he is joining us as brings a proven track record of leading global businesses and his integrated approach will be of great value to his client portfolio,” said J. Walter Thompson Singapore CEO Peter Womersley.

     

    “JWT Singapore has managed to create perfect balance between hunger and wisdom. I am thrilled to be joining the agency at this exciting time,” added Lalwani.

  • Rohit Ohri to join FCB Ulka as group chairman & CEO

    Rohit Ohri to join FCB Ulka as group chairman & CEO

    MUMBAI: Former Dentsu Asia Pacific CEO Rohit Ohri, who recently stepped down from his post, is all set to join FCB Ulka India as group chairman and CEO, effective January 2016.

     

    Ohri will be the successor to current CEO and group chairman Nagesh Alai who, after 25 years with FCB, is moving into a global role.

     

    Alai will assume the role of global vice-chairman at FCB, working on special initiatives for FCB worldwide CEO Carter Murray. With FCB’s newly restructured global company, Ohri will serve as a member of the global operating committee and report directly to Murray in New York. He will be one of the CEOs helping to guide the global company.

     

    “I want to thank Nagesh for dedicating his career to our FCB operations in India and for helping FCB Ulka become one of the strongest agencies in the country. I look forward to working with him on special global initiatives,” said Murray.

     

    “When Nagesh and the Board introduced me to Rohit as someone they felt fitted the culture of the company, I was struck by his passion for what we do, his focus on great work and strong client relationships, and his natural gravitas. If you add his track record in the industry, Rohit is someone whom I think will lead FCB Ulka forward with vision and energy, and keep the flame strong,” he added.

     

    “FCB has gone back to its roots and is reigniting its brand essence under Carter’s leadership. The opportunity to partner with him, in what could be the most defining time in the history of FCB convinced me to quit my regional assignment and come back to India,” said Ohri.

     

    “FCB Ulka has a rich legacy of creating solid brand-building work. It’s a company that values partnerships, people and culture. The opportunity to build on this legacy and to take a great agency to greater heights is truly exciting. I’m delighted to be at the right place at the right time and with the right people,” he added.

                                                                      

    Ohri will be supported by FCB Ulka’s management board, which includes Lodestar Media executive director and Mediabrands CEO Shashi Sinha, Interface Communications and Asterii Analytics executive director Niteen Bhagwat, FCB Ulka Mumbai and Bengaluru, FCBi and Cogito executive director MG Parameswaran and FCB Ulka Delhi executive director Arvind Wable.

  • Snapdeal names Amit Maheshwari as Exclusively CEO

    Snapdeal names Amit Maheshwari as Exclusively CEO

    MUMBAI: Close on the heels of appointing Animesh Sharma as the chief technology officer of Exclusively, Snapdeal has now roped in Amit Maheshwari as CEO of the online premium fashion destination, which it acquired in February 2015.

     

    Maheshwari, who earlier held the position of senior vice president of fashion at Snapdeal, was instrumental in growing the fashion and lifestyle category into one of the most successful businesses, which is well on-course to become a $2 billion business within the current year.

     

    His appointment as the CEO of Exclusively, is part of Snapdeal’s efforts to build Exclusively as India’s largest premium fashion destination.

     

    Snapdeal co-founder and CEO, Kunal Bahl said, “Amit has been a core member of Snapdeal’s leadership team and the driving force behind the exceptional successes of our fashion business. As we create India’s most impactful digital commerce ecosystem, it is important to stay agile and move ahead with assured pace. In this new entrepreneurial role, Amit will be at the helm of Exclusively’s growth and we are certain that with his expertise and intricate knowledge of fashion business, Exclusively will very soon be India’s largest premium fashion destination.”

     

    Maheshwari added, “The move to Exclusively is a continuation of my journey that began three years ago at Snapdeal. We are focussed on building a highly scalable premium fashion business at Exclusively. Together with the dynamic and vibrant team at Exclusively, I am looking forward to this exciting journey ahead.”

     

    Exclusively general managers, Sunjay and Mohini Guleria too welcomed the move. “There is a tremendous void in the online premium and luxury fashion space. The proven leadership from Snapdeal combined with our experience in luxury fashion and creative DNA is a powerful combination to disrupt the industry,” said Guleria.

  • Rediffusion Y&R appoints Navonil Chatterjee as chief strategy officer

    Rediffusion Y&R appoints Navonil Chatterjee as chief strategy officer

    MUMBAI: Rediffusion Y&R has roped in Navonil Chatterjee as its chief strategy officer. 

     

    Chatterjee joins the group from JWT where he worked for 15 years. He will be reporting to Rediffusion Y&R president Dhunji S. Wadia. 

     

    With over 17 years of experience in advertising, Chatterjee has headed the planning function across clients like Hindustan Unilever, Levi’s, Pepsi, Godrej, Madura Garments, ITC, United Spirits Limited (USL), United Breweries (UB), ING Bank and Landmark Group to name a few. 

     

    But the one brand that is perhaps closest to his heart is Nike, where he has played a key role ever since he pitched for it successfully at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore in 2005. 

     

    Wadia said, “Our No. 1 priority is to focus on strategic thinking that will help us create breakthrough work. And I can confidently say that in Navonil, we have the best in the industry to lead our strategic planning. I have known and worked with him before. He has a real respect for good ideas, great work and results. He is a bit of an ‘Un-Planner’ since he is extremely cynical about conventional research and over-intellectualization, and prefers simplicity above all else. We have now strengthened the core team at Rediffusion-Y&R with Rahul, JD and Navonil.”

     

    Chatterjee added, “There seems to be a renewed vigour and buzz around the place with the new leadership team coming on board and new hirings. From the outside I have always perceived Rediffusion as this spunky kind of place, which delivers good creative work. Also, I have worked very successfully with Dhunji in the past, so looking forward to forming a great partnership with him and Rahul (CCO). And as far as I am concerned, I strongly believe that passion makes the world go round, and that’s what I intend to bring to the table. The rest should follow.”

  • Virat Tandon roped in as Mullen Lintas CEO

    Virat Tandon roped in as Mullen Lintas CEO

    MUMBAI: Creative agency Mullen Lintas, which will officially launch on 1 August, 2015 has appointed Virat Tandon as its CEO. 

     

    Tandon will return to India after a three year stint with Mullen Lowe Group in Singapore where he was global business director for the Unilever brands Lifebuoy and Fair & Lovely.

     

    A part of the network for over a decade, Tandon first joined Lowe Lintas at its New Delhi office in 2004 and has undertaken numerous senior and leadership roles in the agency. A Unilever veteran of over 10 brands and 60+ countries, he has worked in India on clients including Maruti Suzuki, Nestle, Dominos, Sony Audio and Dabur among others. 

     

    Prior to joining Lowe Lintas, he worked with WPP agencies Rediffusion, Grey and Contract.

     

    Tandon said, “Mullen Lintas is born ahead of the curve and intends to remain a mash-up of the enduring and the emerging. Our founding team has the pedigree and the class of massive brand-successes under their belt. Big agencies are today, dealing with the new marketing landscape and adapting their offerings to it. Our advantage is that Mullen Lintas has no such baggage and that allows us to leap-frog this need to change and adapt. We understand that a great brand needs a great narrative that flows seamlessly through screens, experiences, shopping environments and conversations. We will equip ourselves to play a pivotal role for our brands.”

     

    Also joining the Mullen Lintas leadership team is Shriram Iyer, who takes on the role of national creative director. 

     

    Iyer said, “A great ambition for the agency and a wonderful team to work with, I am excited about what we can create. Our approach to enriching our capabilities is what we call ‘core plus one’. While we continue to practice our core skill sets, we will commit ourselves to adding people who bring with them a +1 skill or area of expertise. We believe this is critical and makes us ‘present ready’.”

     

    Currently ECD and creative head for the Delhi offices of Lowe Lintas, Iyer moves to Mumbai in this new role. He has been with the group since 1998 and has played various roles in the creative team at Lowe Lintas’ Mumbai and Delhi offices.

     

    Headquartered in Mumbai, the new agency will have offices in New Delhi (NCR) and Bengaluru.

     

    Mullen Lowe Lintas Group group CEO Joseph George said, “India has birthed several big brands over the last two decades. However, for a long time, the top agency brands have remained largely unchanged. Mullen Lintas is a product of the evolving marketing landscape, and with our “big agency” ambition, we intend to partner brands whose ambitions are driven by a passionate pursuit of leadership by presenting ourselves as a compelling challenger to the likes of Lowe Lintas, Ogilvy and JWT.”

     

    Mullen Lintas chairman and CCO Amer Jaleel concluded, “Virat has been a great business partner to me in managing the global mandate on Lifebuoy, and Shriram has been a driving force behind what Lowe Lintas Delhi has achieved in the past few years. I thoroughly enjoy working with both of them and couldn’t have asked for better friends to the start the Mullen Lintas journey with.”

  • Dentsu Asia Pacific CEO Rohit Ohri resigns

    Dentsu Asia Pacific CEO Rohit Ohri resigns

    MUMBAI: Dentsu India CEO Rohit Ohri has put in his papers at the agency.

     

    After 21 years at JWT, Ohri joined Dentsu in 2011 as executive chairman. It may be recalled that just last month (June 2015), Ohri, who previously led Dentsu in India and Asia Pacific South, was re-located to Singapore and was given the responsibility to cover all markets in the region outside of Dentsu’s home territory as CEO Dentsu Asia Pacific (ex Japan).

     

    Ohri is speculated to join FCB Ulka. 

     

    In an official statement Dentsu said, “Rohit Ohri CEO Dentsu Asia Pacific (ex Japan) has resigned after four years at the company. He has made a great contribution and we thank him for that. New leadership of Dentsu brands in Asia Pacific will be announced in due course.”