MAM
James R Heekin III named Grey Worldwide chairman and CEO
MUMBAI: Grey Global Group has named James R Heekin III as chairman and CEO of Grey Worldwide.
He will assume global responsibilities for Grey Worldwide immediately and will report to Grey Global Group chairman, president and CEO Edward H Meyer.
Heekin III served as Euro RSCG Worldwide chairman and CEO from 2004 until his resignation in early August.
Meyer said, “Jim Heekin is a world-class leader on the global advertising stage and a giant in our industry. His arrival opens an exciting new chapter in the growth and development of Grey Worldwide. Jim and I have known each other for years. I have long respected him for his personal qualities and business achievements, and I look forward to working with him. This is a great day for Grey Worldwide, our clients and our people.”
Heekin said, “The opportunity to lead Grey Worldwide is the high point of my professional career. I look forward to partnering with Ed Meyer and the accomplished people working across the network in 83 countries. Our goal is to make Grey the global leader in talent; powerful branding ideas grounded in consumer understanding and superlative creativity and delivery in every channel for our clients. These have been, and will continue to be, the cornerstones of Grey’s growth.”
Heekin III had joined Euro RSCG Worldwide in late 2003 as president and COO.
Heekin is credited with spearheading the revitalisation and growth of the global network. Under his leadership, Euro RSCG Worldwide dramatically transformed its business development efforts, winning in excess of $700 million in new business and adding such blue-chip accounts as Charles Schwab, Jaguar, Glaxo SmithKline’s Advair, Schering-Plough’s Claritin, Heineken USA’s Dos Equis Beer, Lacoste and LG Electronics in Europe.
At Euro RSCG, Heekin launched the company’s global marketing services brand, Euro RSCG 4D, the world’s largest digital network; energised the agency’s management ranks with new account, creative and planning talent and elevated creative standards, making it one of the top five Lion winners at Cannes 2005.
Earlier in his career, Heekin served as chairman and CEO of McCann-Erickson WorldGroup and McCann-Erickson Worldwide. Under his leadership, McCann was named “Global Agency of the Year” in 2001 by Adweek magazine.
In 1998, Heekin was named to the London-based post of Regional Director of Europe/Middle East/Africa for McCann.
Heekin began his advertising career in 1975 in the Research and Planning Department of J. Walter Thompson. After a brief stint in brand management at General Foods, he joined Bozell Worldwide in 1980 as executive vice president, management director on Chrysler. He returned to JWT in 1985 to lead the Miller and Burger King accounts. In 1988, he was appointed General Manager of JWT New York and, together with his creative partner, James Patterson, led the agency to unprecedented new business success. In 1993, under Heekin, J. Walter Thompson New York was named “Agency of the Year” by Adweek.
Brands
Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
