MAM
Dentsu Communications hires Suresh Mohankumar as national planning head
MUMBAI: Dentsu India Group has appointed Suresh Mohankumar as national planning head at Dentsu Communications.
Mohankumar will lead strategic planning and brand management at Dentsu Communications across its offices in New Delhi and Bangalore and will be based out of Bangalore. With nearly two decades of experience, he joins Dentsu from Mudra India where he was senior vice president and head of planning – Mudra South.
Dentsu India executive chairman Rohit Ohri said, “Suresh has the right combination of passion, talent and commitment to partner our creative and account management teams to take our creative product to the next level.”
Dentsu Communications chief operating officer Taira Kimura said, “Suresh brings on board strong experience across brand, categories and regions. I have great confidence in his abilities and expertise to add value to our service deliveries and up the ante at Dentsu Communications.”
Mohankumar said, “The communications business is at a crossroads as convention increasingly gives way to real consumer engagement. That integration and media-neutral planning is the way forward is exactly what Dentsu believes in and I believe that Dentsu is uniquely structured to deliver that. Also as part of an organisation at the cusp of an exciting transformation, I am very excited about my journey ahead and look forward to my mandate at Dentsu Communications.”
A commerce graduate, Mohankumar completed his MBA with a dual specialisation in marketing and finance from T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) in 1993. He started his career in account management with RK Swamy/BBDO in Chennai. Over the next seven years, he worked with Contract and Lowe in Bangalore. He switched to account planning in 2000 when he moved to Mudra Chennai. As a strategic planner, he then worked with Contract and JWT in Chennai.
He has in the past been associated with brands like Tanishq, BPL, Ford, Volkswagen, Carbon, MRF, Lotte, TI cycles, Henkel, Fa, Reynolds, McDowell’s, Johnson & Johnson and Lipton.
Brands
Primus Partners appoints Akasa Air co-founder Neelu Khatri as independent director
Veteran aviation and defence professional joins as independent director
NEW DELHI: Primus Partners has appointed Neelu Khatri, a founding member of Akasa Air, as an independent director, strengthening the consulting firm’s board as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
Khatri brings more than three decades of experience across defence, aviation, aerospace technology and consulting. She was part of the core team that helped build Akasa Air from concept to launch, contributing to what has been widely described as one of the fastest airline scale ups in recent aviation history.
At Primus Partners, she will provide strategic guidance on corporate governance and help steer the firm’s long term growth plans. Her experience of building a start up into a full scale organisation is expected to support the consulting firm as it expands its footprint.
Primus Partners co-founder and chairperson Davinder Sandhu, said the appointment brings valuable expertise to the board. “Neelu’s journey across defence, aviation and consulting brings a rare blend of operational insight and strategic thinking. Her experience in rapidly scaling Akasa Air will be invaluable as we continue to grow while maintaining a strong focus on corporate governance,” he said.
Primus Partners, an India headquartered management consulting and solutions firm, has emphasised governance and board oversight since its early days. The company has also taken an unconventional approach by inviting its Gen Z employees to attend board meetings so that younger perspectives can contribute to discussions.
Speaking on her appointment, Khatri said the consulting sector is entering a transformative period shaped by emerging technologies. “The industry is evolving rapidly with the rise of AI. This is an exciting moment for an Indian origin consulting firm like Primus Partners to expand its product offerings and strengthen its presence globally,” she said.
She added that as the firm pursues ambitious expansion plans, her focus will be on ensuring strong governance frameworks and effective risk management as the organisation scales.
