MAM
Biraja Swain appointed Chief Growth and Innovation Officer of Neo@Ogilvy India
MUMBAI:Neo@Ogilvy India has appointed Biraja Swain as chief growth and innovation officer. Other than leading the Neo Center of Excellence, Biraja will also drive growth and build capability in the mobile space and lead innovation for Ogilvy’s current businesses.
Prior to this role, Biraja was the Digital and Emerging Media lead for OMD’s operations across India & South Asia with over fifteen years of digital media expertise.
Neo@Ogilvy, India president and country head Rajesh Bhatia welcomed Swain with, “I am thrilled to have him as part of our network and I am certain that he will play a leading role in driving business, innovation and growth, not just for Neo, but Ogilvy India as a whole.”
Biraja is well known for his penchant for innovation especially in the field of mobile and among the accolades that he has received include acclaimed awards like Cannes and FOMA. As a founding member of OMG and PhD, he created one of South Asia’s largest digital agency networks from scratch scaling to a team strength of over 250 people with the largest digital advertiser in India (Unilever) on board during his tenure. Under Biraja’s leadership Unilever was awarded “Digital Marketer of the year” and “Mobile Marketer of the Year”, for 3 years running across India and APAC respectively.
In his previous role, Biraja was National Director at MEC Interaction (Mediaedge: CIA) where he led the “Digital Strategy” for clients such as Citi, Beiersdorf, Singapore Airlines & Sony Ericsson. His experience includes work at some of the best technology and media setups in India, including Baazee/Ebay India and Smile Technologies/Quasar. He also has extensive experience of working in international markets of Middle East and Africa during his previous stints based out of Dubai.
MAM
WPP appoints Mark Taylor as chief people officer in leadership reshuffle
Marie-Claire Barker moves to culture role as Cindy Rose builds new team
MUMBAI: WPP has appointed Mark Taylor as its new chief people officer, bringing in a seasoned HR leader as part of a broader leadership reshuffle under chief executive Cindy Rose, according to media reports.
Taylor succeeds Marie-Claire Barker, who will transition into a specialised role focused on performance and culture, reporting to him. The move is seen as part of WPP’s effort to sharpen its organisational structure and align talent strategy with its transformation agenda.
With more than three decades of experience, Taylor brings a diverse track record across industries including pharmaceuticals, consumer goods, retail and digital entertainment. He most recently served as chief people advisor at The LEGO Group, where he worked closely with top leadership on board and executive appointments, governance and organisational strategy.
Prior to that, he held senior HR leadership roles at Burberry and King, where he played a key role in organisational transformation and integration efforts, including the company’s alignment with Activision Blizzard. Earlier in his career, Taylor also worked with Kimberly-Clark and GlaxoSmithKline.
His cross-sector experience is expected to support WPP’s three-year ‘Elevate 28’ turnaround plan, which focuses on simplifying operations, strengthening capabilities and driving sustainable growth.
The appointment marks the second major leadership hire under Rose in a week. Recently, WPP named Anne-Isabelle Choueiri as chief transformation officer, bringing in additional firepower to execute its strategic overhaul. Choueiri previously held a senior transformation role at Estée Lauder Companies.
The leadership changes signal a clear push by WPP to blend experience with transformation as it navigates a rapidly evolving advertising landscape. With Taylor now steering the people agenda, the company appears focused on ensuring its talent strategy keeps pace with its broader ambitions.
