MAM
Abhijit Avasthi bids adieu to Ogilvy
MUMBAI: The national creative director of Ogilvy, Abhijit Avasthi, has decided to move on from the agency after almost 15 years.
Known as one of the gems of Piyush Pandey, Avasthi has been instrumental in some of the memorable ad campaigns for brands like Coca Cola, Cadbury, Fevicol etc.
“Advertising has taught and exposed me a lot of things. Taking these learnings, I want to move on to do something which I love over and above advertising,” says Avasthi and adds, “It would have been unfair on both me and Ogilvy if I cannot give my 100 per cent to what I love doing.”
“Both Piyush and Rajiv (Rao) have been aware of my intentions for a while now and have been very supportive about it,” he says while adding that his exit was planned well so that things don’t fall out of place at the agency.
With an engineering background, Avasthi started his advertising career in 1997 at Enterprise Nexus as a trainee writer. After working there for two years, he went on to join Ogilvy as creative supervisor. In 2002, he was then made creative director and in 2005 was elevated as group creative director.
“I’m taking a break to figure out what should be my next move,” he informs.
A memo regarding his exit was sent out on 28 October 2014 to the employees. “He is currently serving his notice period and will be associated with the agency till end of November,” says a source within the company.
The memo reads:
After a stunning performance as National Creative Director Ogilvy India, Kinu has opted for a creative twist in his professional story. He has chosen to go independent and would also be pursuing some of his other interests. Consequently, he will give up his responsibilities as N.C.D. as of 30 November 2014. However, Ogilvy India is the first to associate with Kinu in his new endeavour and he will be our Creative Consultant on a few key projects. Kinu will also partner Rajiv and me in developing and implementing a robust on-going creative training programme for Ogilvy India.
Kinu’s contribution to our creative reputation, first as a senior creative team member and then as N.C.D. with Rajiv Rao, has resulted in the new age creative revolution at Ogilvy. He has helped build great brands, client relationships and a super strong creative culture in our organisation. His reputation extends beyond India and he is respected as one of India’s most talented creative professionals.
Rajiv Rao will take full charge of the National Creative responsibilities and will discuss the creative responsibilities of current creative leaders over the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, we salute Kinu for his immense contributions and wish him the very best in his next inning.
Brands
Radico Khaitan appoints Kunal Madan as chief marketing officer
Promotions signal focus on premium spirits, global expansion and homegrown leadership
UTTAR PRADESH: Radico Khaitan has elevated two long-serving insiders to its top leadership team, signalling a bold push into premium spirits and global markets. Kunal Madan steps in as chief marketing officer, while Sudhir Upadhyay takes charge as chief sales officer, both part of what managing director Abhishek Khaitan calls a consciously built next-generation leadership bench.
“At Radico Khaitan, our growth has always been powered by people,” Khaitan said. “True leadership is not imported, it is cultivated.” He added that empowering internal talent ensures continuity while keeping the company globally competitive and future-ready.
Madan, with over 20 years of experience across global sales and marketing, will drive brand architecture, marketing strategy, and the premiumisation agenda, including travel retail. Upadhyay, who has 25 years in the industry and was most recently national sales head, will oversee distribution expansion and execution across markets.
The leadership reshuffle comes amid Radico’s intensified focus on premium spirits, a segment driving higher margins and international growth. Last year, Ajay Kakkar was brought on to head the Premium On-Trade vertical, targeting modern and institutional channels to boost presence in high-growth segments.
Meanwhile, Amar Sinha stepped down as chief operating officer after contributing across multiple growth phases. Khaitan acknowledged Sinha’s role in supporting the company’s trajectory, while Sinha described his tenure as “an absolute privilege,” crediting Khaitan’s leadership for shaping the company’s strategic direction.
With a homegrown leadership bench and a clear premium agenda, Radico Khaitan is set to accelerate its global expansion while doubling down on brand elevation and market impact.
