MAM
MSLGROUP makes 16 new appointments to strengthen its Asia team
MUMBAI: It is a big day for the MSLGROUP. The strategic communications and engagement consultancy of Publicis Groupe, and the largest brand and reputation advisory network in Europe, Greater China, India and Asia overall has announced 16 new hires in Asia. The new appointments have been made within corporate advisory and reputation management, marketing communications, financial communications, public affairs and social engagement across Greater China, India and Singapore.
Some of the key appointments include Amit Misra as the executive vice president and director of public affairs, MSLGROUP in Delhi; Rekha Rao has been hired as general manager, 20:20 MSL in Mumbai; Gaurav Trivedi will be working as a managing director, CNC in Delhi; Lusha Niu has been appointed at the position of director of Financial Communications and Corporate Advisory, MSLGROUP in Shanghai; Lan Jie will be working as director of Marketing Communications, MSLGROUP in Shanghai; April Chang will be taking the charge as director of Learning & People Development, MSLGROUP in Taipei; Fu Yumei has been hired as senior associate director of Healthcare, MSLGROUP in Singapore.
The appointments were planned much in advance, informs MSLGROUP Group CEO Jaideep Shergill. “Since our annual year begins from January, we wanted to be all set for the New Year. In these two months, the new hires will get enough time to get a hang of how we function and they will be ready to take complete charge of their responsibilities by the time the annual year begins,” says Shergill, also informing that most of the positions have been specially created in order to make an efficient progress.
In fact, Shergill adds that some of the appointments like Amit Misra and Rekha Rao are the senior most appointments at MSLGROUP in many years. “Plus, all the appointments are in different sections of the company and the new hires would be working out of different locations like Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, which would add to our growth as we will be capturing different markets,” he says.
In his new role, Amit Misra will serve as the overall market leader for MSLGROUP in Delhi and the practice leader for Public Affairs across India. In addition, he will work in close conjunction with 20:20 MSL in Delhi for business development, talent training, key client relationship management, and providing public affairs counseling to clients.
Amit is a seasoned communications professional with over 18 years of experience spanning corporate and consulting roles in several international agencies, and is experienced in leading operations, building portfolio of marquee clients, and strengthening the company’s strategic communications practice.
Jaideep Shergill-MSL
Shergill says that they have observed that Delhi is a very potential market and thus they needed somebody with enough experience to grow in the region. “Amit would do just that,” he says.
Rekha Rao would take up responsibilities that include operational performance, growth, profitability, talent management and client engagement. Rekha has over 17 years experience and specialises in FMCG, consumer and lifestyle PR and she has the distinction of working with global giants like Unilever & P&G. She has also managed PR campaigns for major MNCs like Monsanto (BT Cotton Seeds), Revlon, Porsche, and Right Choice. Rekha’s work has also been awarded. She has 6 India SABREs and AFAQS awards in her kitty.
The advantage for the company is that, Rao also has a strong creative background, having spent 12 years with advertisement agencies such as Leo Burnett, Lowe and Triton. “Rekha comes from a non-technology background and would really help us grow. 20:20 MSL was a tech PR agency till sometime back and thus most of the employees on board are from a technological background. Now that the focus of the company has changed, we needed somebody from the consumer background and Rekha is just apt for that position,” says Shergill.
Hitesh Malhotra would be responsible for managing the social media marketing portfolio to develop integrated communications and engagement strategy for the online community. Prior to joining MSLGROUP, he worked at MakeMyTrip.com with social media marketing.
Rahul Lakhpati has over 12 years experience in public relations and journalism, specialising in strategic communications and content-focused storytelling. Prior to joining MSLGROUP, Rahul has worked at several international agencies and Lokmat, one of the largest Indian daily newspapers as a Sub Editor and Reporter.
The company has hired Madhavi Mukherjee for its Bengaluru office and they are really looking forward to grow with this new recruit. Madhavi has 10 years of professional experience, specialising in providing advisory in marketing communication and branding, media verticals, CSR strategies and digital communications. Prior to this role, Madhavi worked for MSLGROUP in India as well as other communications agencies.
MSLGROUP Asia president Glenn Osaki said in a press release: “Our strategy of bringing together the region’s best-in-class agencies across multiple disciplines has created a highly dynamic network to drive change in our industry. Our high-value strategic communications advisory, award-winning experiential, 360-degree marketing, digital and creative hubs, and integrated solutions in tandem with our investment in career development programs have set the standard in Asia. We are happy to see that the region’s top talent from diverse backgrounds including advertising, strategic consultancy, public affairs, and social media and digital marketing, have chosen to join the MSLGROUP family.”
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
