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Category: People

  • ISA elects Marico’s Saugata Gupta as chairman

    ISA elects Marico’s Saugata Gupta as chairman

    MUMBAI: The newly elected executive council of the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) met on 11 September and elected Marico’s managing director Saugata Gupta as its new chairman.

     

    He takes over from Hemant Bakshi as he relocates to Unilever Indonesia as the CEO.

     

    Gupta has been lending his support to the ISA for a long time as his colleagues from senior levels in marketing and media have been active in different committees of the ISA.  An MBA from IIM Bangalore, Gupta has rich FMCG experience of over two decades having worked through ascending career rung in Cadbury (India & UK), ICICI Prudential & Marico. Currently, MD of Marico, he believes in an empowering work culture that would create ownership and make a difference in to the entire business ecosystem.

     

    Gupta said, “Our focus would be on making industry partnership stronger and in particular to extend all support that is needed to help BARC come up as soon as possible with industry wide accepted and accurate TV audience research data representing viewers across the country. I am looking forward to the exciting times ahead for Advertisers, industry partners and fraternity associations to work as a stronger team to harness overall growth of advertising which in turn will help grow businesses and the Indian economy.”

     

    The ISA has advertiser members from across industries who contribute to over two-thirds of the country’s national non-governmental ad spends.  ISA, which is member of the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA), continues to partner with other industry bodies that connect to the advertisers such as initiating the formation of BARC.

     

    Other members of the Executive Council are:

     

    Tata Services Group Corporate Communications Corporate Affairs VP Atul Agrawal

     

    Thomas Cook (India) Marketing and Service Quality head and chief innovation officer Abraham Alapatt

     

    Agro Tech Foods director Narendra Ambwani

     

    Bajaj Corp Business Development director Jimmy R Anklesaria

     

    Infogain India director JC Chopra

     

    Raymond strategic advisor Paulomi Dhawan

     

    Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care brand director Sonali Dhawan

     

    Aditya Birla Management Corporation Group Corporate Services and Strategy director Rajiv Dube

     

    Godrej Consumer Products chief operating officer – Sales, Marketing & SAARC Sunil Kataria

     

    Bajaj Electricals vice president & head advertising and brand development Beena Leji Koshy

     

    Tata Global Beverages managing director and CEO Ajoy K Misra

     

    Anisha Motwani, Director & Chief Marketing Officer, Max Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

     

    Mondelez India Foods Chocolate Category and Media director Siddhartha Mukherjee

     

    Birla Sun Life Asset Management independent director Bharat V Patel

     

    ITC divisional chief executive Sanjiv Puri

     

    Nestle India Communication head Chandrasekar Radhakrishnan

     

    Polycab Wires vice chairman, joint MD and group CEO R Ramakrishnan

     

    Hindustan Unilever Personal Care Products executive director Samir Singh

     

    Hawkins Cookers chairman Brahm Vasudeva

  • ZenithOptimedia hires Hari Krishnan as MD

    ZenithOptimedia hires Hari Krishnan as MD

    MUMBAI: ZenithOptimedia Group has roped in Hari Krishnan as ZenithOptimedia India managing director.

     

    Based out of Gurgaon, he will be taking charge of the agency’s pan-India operations.  ZenithOptimedia India Group CEO Anupriya Acharya said, “Hari’s appointment is in line with our strategy of seeking diverse talent in order to accelerate our transformation agenda. The market and marketers are fast evolving to keep up with the convergence in the marketplace and the changing, more complex, consumer journeys. We have excellent specialist capabilities across media, research, data and analytics, content, experiential, performance marketing and the like. Hari’s rich experience in brands and integrating different verticals will add immense value to our clients and the Group that comprises ZenithOptimedia, Performics, Resultrix, Newcast and Ninah.”

     

    Krishnan moves in from Cheil Worldwide SW Asia where he was chief operating officer. He has spent over 22 years in advertising agencies including Bates, Ogilvy, Grey and JWT and has worked across product categories on brands such as Samsung, PepsiCo, Vodafone and Nokia. He led WPP’s first co-located, integrated set-up for Ford in India, the Blue Hive by bringing together separate teams from JWT, Mindshare and Wunderman Digital. Subsequently he joined Cheil as COO where he was part of the massive growth and integration journey – from 135 people to 480 strong team; capability expansion from ATL to Digital, Activation, Visual Merchandising and Retail. He also worked closely with Lodestar UM to set up a joint Cheil- Lodestar operation.

     

    Krishnan said, “This is indeed an exciting opportunity. The consumer journey is ever-evolving and brands are being challenged on an hourly basis. ZenithOptimedia believes that these new trends and advances in technology will provide innovative communication opportunities for clients. Not many agencies take bold steps like this and I am glad to work among people who are embracing new thinking, new perspectives and new ideas.”

     

    ZenithOptimedia Group’s client list in India includes Nestle, OLX, Micromax, LVMH Group, Honda, Uninor, Jabong, Yatra, Toshiba, Viber and Fabfurnish. Performics and Resultrix also deliver digital strategies for MaxBupa, ICICI Bank, Airtel, Standard Chartered Bank, Star India, Birla Sun Life Insurance, Tata AIG Life Insurance, Musafir and Games 24X7.

  • Ogilvy strengthens Mumbai team with 4 new senior hires

    Ogilvy strengthens Mumbai team with 4 new senior hires

    MUMBAI:  After fabulous few months of winning new businesses, Ogilvy Mumbai has appointed four senior creative directors. 

     

    Ogilvy India NCD Abhijit Avasthi said, “In order to bolster our creative strength we have brought in these stars. Each of them has a unique way of thinking which will enrich Ogilvy greatly.”

     

    The four new senior creative directors will be based in Mumbai and report to the senior creative and business heads in Ogilvy Advertising.

     

    Neville Shah, a post graduate from Symbiosis Institute of Mass Communication, completed copywriting at The Creative Circus in Atlanta has been appointed as group CD. His work experience spans over companies like MTV India & MTV Indies, Commonwealth Worldwide, McCann Worldgroup, Creativeland Asia, JWT, Mudra, TBWA, McCann-Erickson, Times of India Group, JAM, 107.1 FM Rainbow and The Company Theatre.  He has worked on Indian and multinational brands such as Chevrolet, Set Max, Standard Chartered Bank, Nissan, Airtel, Philips, ESPN, Star Sports, Bajaj Allianz, Parle Agro, Dabur, ITC and several more.

     

    Syed Mohammed Talha Nazim, who started his career at 19, has spent the first 19 years of his career in Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore and Kuala Lumpur. Having worked in agencies such as Burnett & McCann on prestigious clients like Chevrolet, BMW, Fiat, Petronas, Coca-Cola, Nescafe, Dutch Lady, Aircel, McDonalds, to name some, he chose to return to Mumbai with Ogilvy. 

     

    An IBF graduate from Sir JJ Institute of Applied Art, Mahesh Madhukar Parab, has worked with agencies such as Da’Cunha Communications, Ambience Publicis, McCann Erickson, DDB Mudra and Contract Advertising.  His work experiences spans across Indian and multinational brands such as Amul, Western Union, Siemens, HUL, Marico, Reliance, Yellow Pages, Hanes, Tata Indicom, BPL Mobile, NEO, Star Plus, Edelweiss, Tata Motor International, Asian Paints, Cadbury’s, BATA, Yamaha, Dabur, Wrigley’s, UTI Bank, Kotak Bank, to name a few.

     

    And lastly, Talha Bin Mohsin is a post graduate in Communication after doing his Bachelors in International Business & Finance. Mohsin has worked with agencies such as Contract, DDB Mudra, Leo Burnett & McCann Erickson.  His work experience covers brands such as Coca Cola, National Geographic Channel, Schneider Electric, Philips Lighting, HBO, McDonald’s, Dabur, Godrej, Big Bazaar, Maharashtra Tourism, Parachute, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Barclays Bank, Radio Mirchi, Mediker, Twinings, Wrigley’s (Boomer & Orbit), Yamaha, Bata, Cadbury (Choclairs, Halls), Asian Paints (Tractor, Apcolite), Tata Motors. 

     

    On the new appointments, Ogilvy Mumbai & Kolkata president Navin Talreja said, “New ways of thinking, new kind of work and new ways of adding value is what Ogilvy is known for and what we continuously strive to achieve. To stay ahead of the game we need to constantly add new energy and new ideas to existing ones. These exceptionally talented hires will do just that.”

  • Zomato appoints Rameet Arora as CMO

    Zomato appoints Rameet Arora as CMO

    MUMBAI: Zomato has appointed Rameet Arora as chief marketing officer.

     

    With over 17 years of experience in the field of advertising and marketing, Arora will take over as CMO from this month, and will be responsible for Zomato’s marketing efforts globally.

     

    Zomato co-founder & COO Pankaj Chaddah said, “It’s great to have Rameet on board. He comes with a lot of relevant experience, and we look forward to scaling our marketing efforts in potential markets as well as driving quicker growth in our existing ones.”

     

    A month ago, he had exited from McDonals where he served as a senior director of marketing and  menu management.

     

    “It’s great to be a part of such a fast-growing team. Number one on the agenda is to make Zomato a global synonym for food,” said Arora, who joins Zomato in the midst of its aggressive international expansions and extensive product development.

     

    Prior to McDonald’s, Rameet was Colors marketing head. Over the years, Arora has been associated with the top advertising and marketing companies, most notably Leo Burnett, where he spent over eight years.

  • MEC India appoints Premnath Unnikrishnan as digital head

    MEC India appoints Premnath Unnikrishnan as digital head

    MUMBAI: MEC India has appointed Premnath Unnikrishnan as south head – digital.

     

    Based out of Bangalore, Unnikrishnan will report to the agency’s India digital leader Vishal Chinchankar.

     

    Chinchankar said, “It is great to have Prem as part of the MEC’s digital team. He is a seasoned professional and come with a plethora of skills and expertise. He has a proven ability to create strategic simplicity, drive innovation, ensure systematic execution, and deliver results. We wish him the very best in his new role.”

     

    Unnikrishnan, a thorough digital professional with over 10 years of experience, comes with in-depth knowledge of performance based campaigns. Prior to joining MEC, he was with Interactive Avenues where he managed accounts like Wipro, TTK, ING Vysya Bank, World Vision amongst others.

     

    Unnikrishnan said, “It’s an absolute honour to be part of this leading organisation. This opportunity has provided me a great platform to further showcase and enhance client service levels. From developing digital strategies to implementing digital technologies and running digital processes, these responsibilities will serve as a great learning opportunity. I am eager and look forward to learning from the pool of talented people present here at MEC.”

  • Maxus strengthens regional leadership teams in west and south

    Maxus strengthens regional leadership teams in west and south

    MUMBAI: In the first six months of 2014, the west and south regions of Maxus have been on a winning spree of adding 23 new businesses. To keep up the pace, the media investment planning agency is strengthening its regional teams.

     

    In the southern region, Maxus has elevated Kishankumar Shyamalan to general manager. In his previous role as client leader, Shyamalan was the key lead for the Tata Global Beverages pitch, ultimately converting the business in Maxus’ favour. He is the key architect of the Power of 49 campaign, conceptualised and executed by Maxus Bangalore. He also spearheaded media teams for Titan Industries, Wipro and the Kerala office. He has been a key contributor to all Maxus south pitches over the past six years, and also led the geographical expansion for the media agency in the south. His erstwhile roles include buying head for Maxus south.

     

    The new appointment at Maxus Mumbai is of Monaz Todywalla as general manager. Todywalla will be leading client teams for Vodafone, L’Oreal, HDFC Life and Kotak. She comes with a wealth of experience across categories like FMCG, BFSI, Retail and Confectionary. She joins Maxus from Madison Communications, where she worked on clients such as Marico Industries, Asian Paints, Kaya and Sleek. She began her career with Lodestar where she serviced Amul and SC Johnson.

     

    Maxus south Asia MD Kartik Sharma said, “We are excited to elevate Kishan and bring Monaz on board at Maxus. We have always attracted the very best talent in the industry and have given them every opportunity to grow and prosper within Maxus. We are confident that Kishan and Monaz will be ambassadors of the PACE values of Passion Agility, Collaboration and an Entrepreneurial spirit that drives us to become change agents in a fast paced media environment.”

     

    Maxus India 23 new clients have added Rs 300 crore to the agency’s billing. Maxus has also been pitching for several of its specialist services across digital marketing, experiential marketing, content marketing to give clients an edge in not just media, but also brand messaging and outreach.

  • Leo Burnett ropes in Hitesh Mehta as VP

    Leo Burnett ropes in Hitesh Mehta as VP

    MUMBAI: After a slew of significant senior level appointments, Leo Burnett India has announced the appointment of Hitesh Mehta as vice president to be based at its head office in Mumbai. 

     

    Mehta will be leading McDonald’s business nationally on both account management and strategy.

     

    Leo Burnett India CEO Saurabh Varma said, “With over a decade of integrated communications experience, Hitesh is extremely passionate about understanding human behaviour and applying those valuable insights to client work. It is this very orientation that is of great value to our strong HumanKind philosophy for our brands.”

     

    Over the years Mehta has worked in differing local, regional and global roles on some of the world’s biggest brands based out of India, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.

     

    His last assignment was with Leo Burnett in Indonesia, wherein he was a part of the agency leadership team, successfully delivering on his mandate to partner the marketing teams at Dutch Lady and McDonalds, in pursuit of achieving their growth ambitions within the Indonesian market. Always on the lookout for new challenges, Mehta relocated back to India in 2013 and has been working as an independent brand consultant prior to joining Leo Burnett earlier this month.

     

    Mehta said, “The QSR market is still quite nascent and there is immense scope for growth. It’s a very exciting time for McDonalds and I am relishing the opportunity.”

  • Edelman strengthens strategic leadership positions in Mumbai and Delhi

    Edelman strengthens strategic leadership positions in Mumbai and Delhi

    MUMBAI: Edelman today announced two additions to its leadership team in India. Further boosting the firm as it forges ahead on a high growth trajectory, Edelman welcomes back veteran Bhavna Jagtiani, as Director – West. Bonny Lawrie joins from Edelman Middle East, in the newly created role, Deputy General Manager of the Delhi NCR office.

    An experienced brand marketer, Bhavna returns to Edelman India after two years in the Edelman Hong Kong office, where she co-led the consumer practice. Bhavna will now be responsible for managing and growing the Edelman business in West India, including the offices in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad.  She will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Rakesh Thukral, Chief Operating Officer, Edelman India.

    Bonny will lead some of Edelman India’s largest clients, most notably Microsoft and Shell. She brings with her more than 11 years of experience in communications and marketing across Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe and most recently, the Middle East.  She will be based out of New Delhi and will report to Varghese Cherian, General Manager North & East, Edelman India and Technology Lead – SAMEA.

    Rakesh Thukral, Chief Operating Officer, Edelman India, says, “These strategic additions to our team will further strengthen our leadership in India and help drive business growth. With their multi-market experience, Bhavna and Bonny are well-positioned to ensure success in our client work, learning for our teams and growth for Edelman. Bhavna’s return to Edelman India will provide further impetus to our West operations; and Bonny’s experience will contribute to further expansion of our fastest growing office in India.”

    Bhavna’s career at Edelman has spanned a period of over ten years, working for the world’s biggest and most admired brands. During her earlier stint in India, she co-led the Edelman Consumer Practice in the country, driving corporate and brand communications programmes for a wide range of clients. Bhavna graduated from the University of Mumbai with a degree in commerce. She also has a post graduate diploma from the Xavier’s Institute of Communications, Mumbai.

    Bonny has managed a number of high profile clients across the Middle East and North Africa. For the past year, she has led Edelman’s operations in Qatar.  Bonny is also a member of Edelman’s South Asia, Middle East and Africa leadership team. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Media & Communication) degree from Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia.

  • Vdopia realigns its top management

    Vdopia realigns its top management

    MUMBAI: In order to strengthen the business and its product offerings, Vdopia has made changes in the top management.

     

    To meet the distinct demands and challenges of the ad tech industry, it has appointed Saurabh Bhatia, who co-founded Vdopia in 2007 and has served since as its chief business officer (CBO), as its chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Srikanth Kakani (also a co-founder) who becomes the company’s chief technology officer (CTO), a new position. Chhavi Upadhyay, another co-founder, who has served as chief operating officer (COO), becomes Vdopia’s president, also a new position.

     

    Bhatia believes that under Srikanth’s direction, Vdopia served video ads to 63 of the top 100 ad age advertisers and expanded globally opening up offices in nine countries. He says: “Building on the momentum set by him, we aim to innovate with greater speed, efficiency and capability in a fast-changing world. We are in the most exciting phase of our growth, as the mobile video ad market is expected to grow by more than 300 per cent in the next four years. As an organisation, we will build a stronger, growing business portfolio by further solidifying our core technology offerings. This structural reorganisation is indispensable for Vdopia to respond with agility to the changing business environment.”

     

    As Vdopia’s CEO, Bhatia will have global responsibilities for driving the company’s growth and vision, leading the company’s strategy, defining the product road map and be in charge of overall revenue growth.

     

    With over 10 years of sales and business development experience, prior to co-founding Vdopia, he held executive positions at Maxcellence, Peak Performance Solutions and Insways Software. Bhatia holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

     

    As Vdopia’s first CTO, Kakani will oversee the development, implementation and growth of Vdopia’s technology vision. This includes but is not limited to strengthening the core technology of VDO, Vdopia’s proprietary ad format, launching and building a mobile video marketplace, development of big data targeting engines and Vdopia’s approach to native advertising.

     

    Upadhyay, as the company’s president, will provide leadership and direction to human resources, legal, accounting and finance in addition to her current responsibilities of global operations and business development.

     

    “With these management changes we will focus on making internal and external processes at Vdopia more productive, efficient, simple and scalable,” adds Bhatia. “We will continue to focus our energies and efforts on building great products and providing value for our customers, stakeholders and the advertising industry.”

  • DDB Mudra West appoints Ferzad Variyava as group CD

    DDB Mudra West appoints Ferzad Variyava as group CD

    MUMBAI: DDB Mudra has announced the appointment of Ferzad Variyava as group creative director, DDB Mudra West. Variyava will be based out of the agency’s office in Mumbai.

     

    DDB Mudra West creative head Rahul Mathew said, “Over the last few months, we’ve been rebuilding our creative force here at DDB Mudra West. And Ferzad is yet another stride in that direction. I have always admired his craft as a writer and am sure he’s going to raise the standard, on many counts, for all of us.”

     

    Variyava joins DDB Mudra West from L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, where he worked as executive creative director. With over 13 years of experience, Ferzad has worked on household blue chip brands in banking, media, FMCG, beauty, personal care, travel and telecommunications. With a history of partnering new business wins, he has been mentored by industry legends in senior client and agency relationship management.

     

    Variyava said, “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Rahul Mathew and Sonal Dabral. I have always been a fan of work and culture of DDB Mudra and I feel privileged to be a part of this team.”