Tag: Weber Shandwick

  • Vignesh Shankar gets new product management role at Britannia

    Vignesh Shankar gets new product management role at Britannia

    MUMBAI:  From corp comm to product management, that’s a fabulous transition for Vignesh Shankar. Shankar  has taken on a new role as product manager, health innovations at food company Britannia Industries. This appointment marks his third role within the company, following his stint as product innovation manager for the iconic Good Day brand.

    In his latest capacity, Shankar will focus on category creation, product innovation, and marketing in the emerging healthy snacking space while also managing Britannia’s corporate brand reputation.

    Expressing excitement over the new role, Shankar said: “Really stoked for the new challenges and opportunities. Grateful for the support of my legendary leaders Amit Doshi and Archana Balaraman throughout this life-changing transition.”

    Shankar’s professional journey spans over a decade across prominent firms. Prior to his tenure at Britannia, he served as manager, corporate communications at Mercedes-Benz India, where he led lifestyle and product communication. He also worked as a consultant at Weber Shandwick and as an associate at Genesis BCW.

    An alumnus of the University of Leeds, where he earned an MA in advertising and marketing, Shankar also holds a bachelor’s degree in business management from the Centre for Management Studies, JGI Bangalore.

     

  • 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.”

  • Weber Shandwick appoints Valerie Pinto to lead India operations

    Weber Shandwick appoints Valerie Pinto to lead India operations

    MUMBAI: Weber Shandwick has roped in Valerie Pinto to the role of chief executive, effective as of 1 January 2015.  Pinto will report to Weber Shandwick, Asia Pacific chairman Tim Sutton.

     
    In her role, Pinto will have overriding responsibility for the firm’s business in India. Her appointment is part of a broader strategy to build on the agency’s best-in-class India team. She will also join Weber Shandwick’s Asia Pacific senior management board.

     
    Vice Chairman, Atul Ahluwalia will continue in his role. Pinto partners Ahluwalia in Weber Shandwick’s India Leadership Council. The Council also includes managing director of client services, Dilip Yadav; deputy managing director, Carolina Bajaj, and executive vice president, operations, Mabel Phoon who will all report to Pinto. Yadav is also Managing Director, India of Weber Shandwick’s second brand, Creation.

     
    Pinto brings over sixteen years’ experience in communications and reputation management, having previously led Perfect Relations, a leading independent public relations consultancy that gained strong momentum under her leadership in India.  During her distinguished career, she has led strategic counsel to a wide range of companies and executives across numerous industries. She has an outstanding track record in business growth and a particular reputation for effective talent management, having mentored many highly motivated and high performing professionals under her leadership.

     
    Sutton said: “In the last few months, I have spoken to very many senior people in India – at agencies and clients, in media and business – for advice on the very best person to take our business in India to the next stage of market leadership. It was quite remarkable how many of them put Valerie at the very top of their ‘recommendation list’.  She is a class act with a legendary reputation.

     
    “She had many other options at this stage of her career, including running her own business, and I am so thrilled that our vision and ambition have persuaded her to join Weber Shandwick.  This appointment signals our absolute determination to become the market leader in India.

     
    “We are already blessed with a wonderful senior management team assembled by vice chairman Atul Ahluwalia.  They have made Weber Shandwick the most awarded agency in India.”

     
    “I am very delighted to welcome Valerie to our team,” said Ahluwalia. “She brings huge experience and stature with her.”

     

  • Missed being at Cannes Lions? Don’t fret, take a look

    Missed being at Cannes Lions? Don’t fret, take a look

    MUMBAI:  At the 61st edition of Cannes Lions a lot has happened that one would want to a keep a note of.

    Think of any big name from the media, marketing, advertising industry and they were there, sharing their experiences and views on the industry. Keeping those who couldn’t attend the festival of creativity, the organisers promotes its major happenings real time across Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

    From session highlights to picture updates; ad men, agency networks, other attendees were all out on social posting.

    Indiantelevision.com lists down 20 thought provoking tweets and tidbits to bring home the flavour of Cannes Lions 2014…

     

     

     

    Unilever News @Unilever  

    “Marketing was about making a myth and telling it. Now it’s telling a truth and sharing it” — Marc Mathieu @Unilever #CannesLions

    Ogilvy & Mather @Ogilvy  

    “You achieve more from failure than you do from success.” –@JaredLeto at #CannesLions #OgilvyCannes MT @ThamKhaiMeng

    Ogilvy & Mather @Ogilvy 

    We are all born creative. We just got it educated out of us. –@ThamKhaiMeng #OgilvyCannes #CannesLions

    Ogilvy & Mather @Ogilvy  

    Selling ideas is a hard job… Avoid those who make it more complex. They often nitpick without real solutions. #CannesLions #OgilvyCannes

    Ogilvy Cape Town @OgilvyCT

    Use creativity to solve a problem you’ve never seen. That’s what drives the world. @neiltyson #canneslions #ogilvycannes

    Ogilvy & Mather @Ogilvy  

    Successful people lose more than they win… Find insight after losing. Find faults after winning. #CannesLions #OgilvyCannes

    Ogilvy & Mather @Ogilvy  

    Your first job is the second part of your education. #CannesLions #OgilvyCannes

    Cannes Lions @Cannes_Lions

    “The best thing about the fall of BlackBerry and the rise of Apple is the win of creativity,” – @kanyewest @PulseofCulture #CannesLions

    Cannes Lions @Cannes_Lions

    “If people are saying you’re wrong, that’s a good sign that you’re probably a genius” – @SteveStoute @PulseofCulture #CannesLions

    Cannes Lions @Cannes_Lions  

    Global advertising doesn’t work. It glides past people, isn’t part of their culture, doesn’t touch them-John Hegarty @bbhlondon #CannesLions

    Cannes Lions @Cannes_Lions 

    ‘You cannot market an artist like a yogurt, but you can definitely market a yogurt like an artist’ Olivier Robert-Murphy @UMG #CannesLions

    Cannes Lions @Cannes_Lions  

    ‘Bad advertising online is shit. Bad advertising on mobile is just offensive’ – @ddroga #CannesLions

    Weber Shandwick US @WeberShandwick 

    “If you’ve got nothing to say, the technology doesn’t matter” #profaneandpolitical #wscannes2014

    Tracy @TracybradyHH · 

    The biggest risk is not to take a risk. Be brave. #ipgCannes2014 #HHCannes #CannesLions @WeberShandwick #unapologetic

    Rufus Leonard @rufusleonard 

    “Risk is the mother of #innovation” says Tim Webber @Framestore @Cannes_Lions #CannesLions

  • Weber Shandwick Strengthens India Leadership Team

    Weber Shandwick Strengthens India Leadership Team

    MUMBAI: Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading global public relations firms, announced a strengthening of its India leadership team today. Atul Ahluwalia, formerly managing director, takes on a new role as vice chairman and will continue to lead the firm’s India operations.  Dilip Yadav, formerly deputy managing director, is promoted to become managing director – client services and additionally is appointed managing director of Creation, one of Weber Shandwick’s best-in-class engagement brands.

     

    At the same time, Carolina Bajaj joins the firm from Edelman and has been appointed deputy managing director, India. Bajaj will be responsible for overseeing the Weber Shandwick Mumbai and Bangalore operations, as well as the India practice teams. Bajaj joins the India senior management team alongside Ahluwalia, Yadav and Mabel Phoon, executive vice president, operations, India.

    Bajaj comes to Weber Shandwick from Edelman, India, where she led their India Corporate practice and was head of their West Region, India. She has more than 14 years of experience in public relations across corporate, aviation, real estate, sports, tourism and consumer sectors. She has also previously worked for the Wadia Group.

     

    “Atul continues to deliver strong leadership in India. His new role reflects his stature in the local market,” said Tim Sutton, chairman of Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific  “Dilip’s new roles are testament to his supreme aptitude to build strong, successful client relationships.

     

    “We are also delighted to welcome Carolina. She holds all the cards to grow our operations in Mumbai and Bangalore significantly and is a great addition to our India-wide leadership team,” said Sutton. 

     

    Yadav will continue to report to Ahluwalia but will have additional dotted reporting lines to Baxter Jolly, vice chairman, Asia Pacific, for his client services role, and George Coleman, president of Creation worldwide. Bajaj will also report to Ahluwalia, with dotted reporting into Jolly.

  • Weber Shandwick elevates Mabel Phoon to EVP international client services

    Weber Shandwick elevates Mabel Phoon to EVP international client services

    NEW DELHI: Weber Shandwick, the public relation firm today elevated Mabel Phoon to the position of executive vice president, international client services, Asia.

    As part of her new role, Phoon will relocate to India with immediate effect and also becomes a part of the Indian leadership team. She will report jointly to vice chairman Asia Pacific Baxter Jolly and Weber Shandwick India managing director Atul Ahluwalia.

    In India, she will divide her time between New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru offices focusing on supporting key client programmes. She will also take a lead role in managing relationships within the global Weber Shandwick network and also join Weber Shandwick’s newly formed India management board.

    Phoon joined the agency in Singapore in 1997. There she rose to lead the local technology practice before being appointed regional practice head, advancing to executive vice president in 2008.She then moved to New York in 2010 as a client leader for one of the firm’s top global clients.

    “We are thrilled to have Mabel return to the region,” said Jolly. “Her move to Weber Shandwick India reflects the huge importance we attach to developing our operations and capabilities in India. We will be investing heavily in new talent and services in India in the coming months and Mabel will be very involved in helping us bring these plans to fruition. Her experience with major campaigns in Asia and with driving key global client relationships from New York will be major assets to our India leadership team.”

  • Weber Shandwick takes full ownership of India operation

    NEW DELHI: Weber Shandwick, part of the Interpublic Group, has reached an agreement with majority equity holder MAA Group Holdings to up the firm’s previous 40 per cent equity share of multi-award winning agency Corporate Voice | Weber Shandwick (CVWS), to 100 per cent. CVWS has offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata.

    MAA Group Holdings Chairman Bunty Peerbhoy will continue in his role as chairman of CVWS. Atul Ahluwalia and Dilip Yadav also will continue in their roles as president and executive vice president, respectively. Ahluwalia will report directly to Tim Sutton, chairman Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific.

    CVWS‘ campaigns have been recognised three times by Cannes PR Lion Silver awards. The team was named 2011 India Consultancy of the Year by The Holmes Report, and has been honoured at the prestigious APAC SABRE Awards three out of the past four years.

    Weber Shandwick CEO Andy Polansky said, “I am delighted to welcome CVWS into full membership of the wider Weber Shandwick family. For the past 16 years, Weber Shandwick and CVWS have built a close relationship that has benefitted clients across industry sectors. We have always considered Bunty Peerbhoy to be a valuable partner and supporter of building important capabilities, and we are very pleased that he will continue to serve as our chairman in India.We see great growth potential for the business in the years ahead.”

    Bunty Peerbhoy, commented: “We have always believed in a deep long-term relationship with Weber Shandwick. Both parties have always been hugely committed to each other and it is that trust and friendship which makes this feel like such a right and natural step.I am delighted to be able to continue supporting both the business and our wonderful staff who make our business so special.”

    Weber Shandwick’s network spans 73 owned offices in 31 countries and affiliates and partners that expand the network to 126 offices in 81 countries. Weber Shandwick operates in virtually every major media, government and business center on six continents.