MAM
IPG shuffles McCann Worldgroup senior team
MUMBAI: The Interpublic Group has elevated Harris Diamond from his position as chairman and CEO of IPG’s Constituency Management Group (CMG) to the same role at McCann Worldgroup, replacing Nick Brien.
Also, Luca Lindner and Gustavo Martinez have been given broader mandates within the company with significant geographic responsibilities and full oversight of McCann Erickson Advertising. The trio of Lindner, Martinez and Diamond will occupy a newly-created, three-person office of the Chairman for McCann Worldgroup.
In his new regional role, Lindner will also take charge of Middle East and Africa apart from the Americas while Martinez will add Asia Pacific responsibilities to his current title of president, Europe for McCann Worldgroup. As Diamond takes on his new position, the marketing services agencies that make up the Constituency Management Group will report directly into Interpublic management.
Interpublic chairman and CEO Michael I Roth said, “Harris understands the business needs of global CEOs, across a range of industries. He has a proven track record of effectively managing a portfolio of agencies and growing the top line. He has created a strong culture of collaboration, which is increasingly key in a marketing landscape that requires integration of services. And he brings a deep knowledge of McCann in light of the alignment between Worldgroup and a number of the agencies within CMG, such as Weber Shandwick and FutureBrand. In Luca and Gustavo, we are fortunate to have two outstanding, seasoned practitioners with a deep understanding of the advertising industry and McCann’s fundamental strengths. Over the past year, as co-Presidents of Global Clients for Worldgroup, they have played increasingly key roles in strengthening the agency’s relationships with major clients. Their continuing leadership and complementary skill set will be key to McCann’s future success. We thank Nick for his commitment and for driving change at McCann during his tenure.”
MAM
Sameer Nair shares heartfelt note as he exits Applause Entertainment
After nine years building the streamer’s content engine, one of India’s best-known TV men is moving on
MUMBAI: Sameer Nair is out. The chief executive of Applause Entertainment, the content studio backed by Kumar Mangalam Birla’s media empire, has announced his departure after nearly nine years at the helm, closing the chapter on one of Indian entertainment’s more quietly consequential careers.
Nair, who built Applause from the ground up in its current avatar, oversaw a slate that spanned Indian originals and international adaptations, threading together a hub-and-spoke business model that partnered with streaming platforms, broadcasters and production houses alike. The results were uneven, as they always are in content, but the ambition was not.
In a post on LinkedIn, Nair was generous to his outgoing patron. He thanked Birla for being an “inspirational boss and a great patron of the arts,” and signed off with a cheerful “Au Revoir” and a promise to remain Applause’s biggest cheerleader. Whether that sentiment survives the next chapter remains to be seen.
No successor has been named. Applause Entertainment did not immediately comment.
Nair built the machine. Now someone else has to run it — and in a streaming market that is simultaneously consolidating and convulsing, that is no small ask.
