MAM
Kantar Public hires Gaurav Sabharwal as India CEO
NEW DELHI: Kantar’s public policy arm Kantar Public has welcomed aboard Gaurav Sabharwal as chief executive officer of India and South Asia, based in New Delhi.
Sabharwal was formerly an executive director / associate partner at consulting firm Ernst & Young where he was involved in business, technology and transaction consulting across various domains within the government and public services division. Prior to that, he was head – central government for Tata Consultancy Services.
With over 20 years’ experience, Sabharwal is well-versed in digital transformation, analytics, mobile, blockchain and cloud computing, gained through working across a broad range of sectors, including agriculture, urban, housing, transport, health and education.
Kantar Public global CEO Michelle Harrison said, “Our team in India and South Asia are proven partners with the government in providing the tools for impactful, evidence-based public policy. I am confident that Gaurav’s appointment will enable us to accelerate and expand our provision of innovation and analytics in evidence with expert, advisory services for your clients.”
“I am excited to take on this role, working to deliver the next steps in India’s powerful and impactful development journey,” remarked Sabharwal. “I look forward to operating in the environment of converging advisory expertise with data capabilities that Kantar Public provides. The organisation is one of the oldest evidence providers in India and I am pleased to lead the expert team in India and South Asia to continue to bring evidence-based public policy services to our clients.”
AD Agencies
Prakash Nair reportedly quits Ogilvy after 23 years
One of the agency’s longest-serving leaders has moved on, with his next destination still unknown
MUMBAI: After more than two decades at one address, Prakash Nair has left the building. The president and head of office, north at Ogilvy has moved on from the agency, according to highly placed industry sources. His next move remains unknown. Ogilvy did not respond to requests for comment.
Nair spent over 23 years at the agency, making him one of its longest-serving senior figures. He was elevated to lead the Gurugram office in April 2022, a role that put him at the helm of Ogilvy’s northern operations at a time of considerable churn across the advertising industry.
Before taking charge in the capital, Nair served as associate president at Ogilvy Mumbai, where he worked on some of the agency’s most prized accounts, including Mondelez, Tata Motors, and BP Castrol. Over the years, he built a reputation for driving modern, integrated, and award-winning work, the kind that wins metals at Cannes and keeps clients from straying.
His departure was marked in style. A farewell gathering was held in Delhi, attended by senior figures from across the advertising fraternity, a signal of the regard in which Nair is held in an industry that does not always pause to say goodbye properly.
Where he goes next is the question the industry is now asking. After 23 years at one of the world’s most storied agencies, the answer, when it comes, will be worth watching.
