MAM
Deshpande returns to Contract as chief creative officer
MUMBAI: Contract Advertising has roped in Ravi Deshpande as chief creative officer. Deshpande was earlier Lemon Communications national creative director.
“Ravi has had a long and intimate relationship with our agency from as long ago as 1987. He has been part of crafting Contract’s unique creative identity,” said Contract Advertising CEO Jagdip Bakshi. “Contract has always attracted the most unusual and sparkling creative minds in the country and Ravi’s return is a home-coming that all of us at the agency welcome,” he added.
While Deshpande was at Contract, the agency won over 400 awards for creative excellence in prestigious national and international fora like Cannes, British D&AD and the Art Directors’ Club, New York.
Contract was Agency of the Year thrice at the Advertising & Marketing national awards as well as Agency of the Year at the Abby’s in 1999. In his years at Contract, Deshpande was involved with over 300 campaigns. Most fondly, he remembers Chicklet’s – ‘It works’, Phillips Storm and Serenade and Bajaj Sunny Zip.
“Creative excellence is not just about winning awards. For advertising to be relevant, it must ensure that consumers connect with our clients’ brands,” Deshpande said.
On his return to Contract, he said, “The sincerity with which I was asked to return was irresistible. As is the desire to work with some of the best young talent in the country. As to his future plans, he said “I’m confident that we will add sparkle and make a a clear and perceptible difference to our clients’ work immediately.”
In the brief years that Deshpande was away, he set up Lemon, which not just measured up to, but exceeded creative standards as we know them in our industry. Deshpande is best remembered for the Standard Chartered Mutual funds ‘Retire early’ campaign, Cadbury Delite – ‘Dudh se dosti kar lo’, and the recent ‘Zoom’ Television campaign.
Brands
Kotak Mahindra Bank appoints Ramesh Iyer to board
Veteran financier replaces Ashok Gulati, who retires in March
MUMBAI: Kotak Mahindra Bank has announced a change to its board of directors, with independent director Ashok Gulati set to retire at the end of his term on 5 March.
The company said it has appointed Ramesh Ganesh Iyer as an additional and independent director for a four-year term, effective 17 February, subject to shareholder approval.
Iyer brings more than four decades of experience in financial services. He spent much of his career at Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services, where he served as vice chairman and managing director before taking on the role of president for the financial services sector and member of the group executive board at Mahindra & Mahindra. He retired from the group in April 2024.
During his tenure, Iyer was instrumental in expanding rural and inclusive finance initiatives, scaling the company’s assets and customer base. He also led the creation of subsidiaries in rural housing finance, insurance broking and asset management, and oversaw international joint ventures.
Iyer holds a commerce degree and a doctorate of letters, and currently serves on the boards of several listed and unlisted companies.
The board meeting approving the changes was held in Mumbai on February 17 between 6.30 pm and 6.50 pm.
