MAM
JWT India announces leadership changes
MUMBAI: After an excellent show at Cannes Lion this year, JWT has announced leadership changes across the agency’s key offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Sri Lanka.
JWT south head Rajesh Gangwani has been appointed as JWT Mumbai senior VP and managing partner effective immediately.
JWT group companies Colombo president Himanshu Saxena will succeed Gangwani as JWT south senior VP and managing partner.
Joy Chauhan will be taking over from Saxena as JWT group of companies Colombo president.
Announcing their appointment, JWT south Asia CEO Colvyn Harris said, “Rajesh and Himanshu are both dynamic leaders with strong connections to the markets, the consumers and the clients. By leveraging their strengths and strategic insights, JWT is uniquely positioned to maximise growth in these critical markets.”
“Having successfully established brands like Pepsi foods, Nestle and more recently Airtel, Joy’s move to Sri Lanka will help develop his career further. He has managed large teams and big brands and that experience will hold him good stead. JWT Colombo is one of the most admired agencies in Sri Lanka and that will continue under Joy’s leadership,” he added.
It’s a homecoming for Gangwani, who joined JWT Mumbai as a management trainee in 1991 and worked on Hindustan Unilever, and other Mumbai clients. He was later transferred to Bengaluru in2002 and has been leading the office since January 2008 and later as head of south, since 2011.
JWT India NCD Tista Sen will be Gangwani’s creative partner and together they complete the leadership team at JWT Mumbai.
“I look forward to my second innings in Mumbai and to the opportunity of leading our flagship office. Having been part of some amazing journeys on brands like Nike, Levi’s, Madura, Lifestyle and others, it’s going to be exciting times ahead. Mumbai has a great portfolio of brands, a fabulous client mix and a fantastic talent pool,” said Gangwani.
With 22 years of experience in advertising, branding, consumer research and sales, Saxena comes in with diverse experience of leading brands, offices and cross functional teams. As head of the JWT Group in Sri Lanka, Saxena was overseeing JWT and the recently set up Contract advertising.
“In our 150th year JWT India has reached great heights of achievement. It is both an honour as well as a huge responsibility to lead a region as dynamic as JWT south. I look forward to carrying on the good work and pushing the bar higher. Leading JWT Sri Lanka was truly an enriching experience and I am glad to move on to the next professional assignment after three years in Colombo,” said Saxena.
JWT India NCD Senthil Kumar will continue to lead JWT south and Kolkata as Saxena’s creative partner.
“It is an immensely exciting opportunity for me to be a part of a great legacy like JWT Sri Lanka. To be a part of a growing market like Sri Lanka, is the high that I really wanted at this point in my career. Armed with the rich experience of some of the best national and international brands like, Pepsi foods, Nestle, Hero and Airtel, I feel my learning will help me grow the brands and businesses at JWT Sri Lanka. JWT will continue to shine,” says Chauhan on his move to Sri Lanka.
Brands
Aviva India appoints Harshit Agrawal as head of marketing
Former Clix Capital marketing head to steer brand strategy and growth
MUMBAI: Aviva India has appointed Harshit Agrawal as head of marketing, bringing on board a seasoned marketer with more than 15 years of experience across financial services, digital agencies and brand strategy.
Agrawal joins the life insurance company after a nearly five-year stint at Clix Capital, where he served as head of marketing. In that role, he led the company’s brand repositioning as an MSME-focused NBFC and oversaw a wide marketing mandate spanning brand strategy, PR, omni-channel platforms, social media, SEO and high-performance media.
During his tenure, Clix Capital saw a strong digital push, including a 200 per cent rise in annual website traffic and a significant reduction in customer acquisition costs. He also played a key role in the firm’s digital transformation initiatives, helping design digital journeys for its personal loan business.
Before Clix Capital, Agrawal was head of marketing at Muthoot Fincorp, where he managed integrated marketing campaigns across the Muthoot Pappachan Group’s financial and non-financial businesses. His work ranged from rolling out a nationwide CRM platform to managing ATL and BTL campaigns, brand ambassador-led advertising and large-scale sponsorships, including those linked to the IPL.
Earlier in his career, Agrawal worked with digital agencies including BC Web Wise and Dentsu Webchutney, where he handled digital strategy and online marketing campaigns for brands such as Hero MotoCorp, SanDisk and Bharti Airtel.
Alongside his corporate career, he also co-founded SRB Automotive, where he has been involved in running one of Central India’s long-standing fuel stations, focusing on customer data analytics and service excellence.
Commenting on the appointment, Aviva India MD and CEO Asit Rath said, “At Aviva, we are on a journey of transformation, building a progressive, customer-first brand that moves beyond conventional marketing. Harshit’s contribution will be instrumental in elevating our marketing capabilities and strengthening our position as a future-ready organisation.”
Sharing his thoughts on the new role, Harshit Agrawal said, “Aviva has always stood out as a progressive organisation, constantly evolving with new innovations and a forward-looking strategy. It inspires me to build on this momentum, moving beyond traditional approaches to create campaigns that resonate with customers, elevate the brand, and reflect Aviva’s shift from protection to prevention. I look forward to shaping an impactful marketing narrative that drives trust, engagement and sustainable growth.”
Agrawal holds an executive management programme certification in sales and marketing leadership from the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow and is also a certified CFA. At Aviva India, he will lead the company’s marketing strategy and brand initiatives as it looks to deepen customer engagement in an increasingly competitive insurance market.
