MAM
Leo Burnett appoints Karen Ellis as global creative director for SK-II
MUMBAI: Leo Burnett has roped in Karen Ellis as its global creative director for SK-II. She will be based out of Singapore.
“Karen’s outstanding body of work across fashion, luxury and beauty is truly one of a kind and a great fit for SK-II. With Karen on board, we are looking forward to bring about a transformation to the team not just at the global hub in Singapore, but across the world to create work that will further enhance SK-II as one of the leading luxury skincare brands, not just in Asia, but globally,” said Leo Burnett Asia Pacific chairman and CEO Jarek Ziebinski.
Ellis is an award-winning specialist with 20 years experience in design and advertising exclusively for the fashion, luxury and beauty industries. She spent 10 years in New York creating numerous worldwide celebrity campaigns for global beauty brands including Estee Lauder, L’Oreal, Avon and Revlon. She then took this expertise to London, where over the span of 10 years she lead creative on numerous beauty brands but most notably on Hugo Boss global franchise of fragrances.
As global creative director she has worked across Boss Black, Boss Orange and Hugo. She has won Gold Euro EFFIE for her work on Boss Orange Woman, a FWA (Favourite Website Awards) in Digital for “Always Night” (Boss Bottled Night), fragrance FIFI’s and numerous others. Most recently she has been working in Asia, grounding herself with Asian insights and working across markets (India-ASEAN) to create regional campaigns on beauty care.
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.
