Indiantelevision.com Team

(28 March 2007 8:30 pm)

MUMBAI: Publicis India has appointed former JWT senior VP Hemant Misra as president and COO and concurrently, the present COO Param Saikia moves on to head Publicis Dialog. Both the executives will be based in Delhi and will be members of the Publicis management board and will report directly to Publicis Network in India MD & CEO Nakul Chopra.

Misra has to his credit a 20 year career in advertising where he has closely worked on various national and international brands like McDonalds's, Nestle, Electrolux, Hewlett Packard, Samsung, FritoLay, Dabur, Yamaha among others. While Saikia joined Publicis as COO in 2003 – after stints in JWT, McCann and Euro - and has been responsible for the rapid growth of Publicis India in Delhi and Mumbai, informs an official release.

Misra said, "I believe the communications business is changing faster than most agencies can react. Publicis India has the ideal size and youth to lead that change. Param has already done a wonderful job. I now look forward to working with Nakul and the team to ring in a new paradigm."

On Saikia's new role, Chopra said, "In Param I have one of my most trusted team members – with an exemplary track record. He has the unique ability to successfully walk paths that others fear. Proof of this is the formidable Publicis India organization he has built virtually from scratch in 4 years. Publicis Dialog is our single most important initiative for Asia Pacific in 2007 – India is expected to lead this initiative – and I am hence turning to my best resource Param."

Saikia commented, "It is gratifying to see where Publicis India has reached today – I have known Hemant well and I know that this fantastic team will be in good hands. Publicis Dialog is not just our most important initiative – equally our most challenging one. As always ambitions are fierce and impatient. I am currently working closely with Partha Sinha Regional Strategist Publicis Dialog and Solutions to finalize our strategy."