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Mudra’s “Invisible CEO” AG Krishnamurthy launches book on memoirs
MUMBAI: At the peak of his career, unlike most CEOs and chairmen, he was never present at the “right places” at the “right time” and that’s how he got the label of being “The Invisible CEO”. That’s AGK Brand Consulting chairman and ex-chairman and managing director of Mudra AG Krishnamurthy. Hence it doesn’t come as much of a surprise when he titled the book on his memoirs as The Invisible CEO.
The book was launched at Crossword book store in Mumbai on 1 March by ad guru and theatre personality Gerson da Cunha. Also present at the launch were Tata Asset Management chief marketing officer Issac Jacob, JWT ex-national creative head Deepa Kakkar and Rediffusion DYR president Ram Sehgal.
The Invisible CEO is a repertoire of deep thoughts and reflections of Krishnamurthy and throws light on “The Mudra Story: What I Have Learnt and What I Have Liked.” The book also includes a critique of brands and advertising.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, on the occasion of the launch, Krishnamurthy said, “The Invisible CEO was the name given to me by the industry as they kept hearing and reading about me, but they never saw me. My philosophy is that my work should speak for me and not vice versa.”
He added that this book was not about advertising but it was about sharing his thoughts with others. “It is not a book on management or a case study book. It’s an honest, no-nonsense book, which has been told from the heart and with great passion,” he said.
The Invisible CEO promotes the age old belief that ‘If you can dream it, you can do it.’ Da Cunha, on the other hand said, “Invisibility is a very desirable thing and Krishnamurthy had made it not just an art but a strategy. By being low profile, he projected the profile of the agency and not his own, which did wonders for the agency.”
Dwelling on some of the points that come across through the book, Da Cunha said that advertising still had to create distinctive brands and add value to the product and service and to achieve that advertising had to be simple, focused and refreshing.
The core of the book resonates with the following theme – “No matter how different you are, or how much of an ‘odd man out’ you feel, if you believe strongly enough and long enough, it is possible to continue to be who you are and to make as success out of doing what you love.”
AD Agencies
Omnicom Advertising names Ellie Brocklehurst chief growth and marketing officer for Asia
The former TBWA Asia marketing chief returns from maternity leave with an ambitious mandate to make Omnicom the most sought-after network in the region.
NEW YORK: Ellie Brocklehurst is back, and she is not easing herself in gently. Omnicom Advertising has appointed Brocklehurst as chief growth and marketing officer for Asia, a role that puts her in charge of growth and marketing initiatives across the network’s three flagship agencies: BBDO, McCann and TBWA. Her brief is to sharpen existing capabilities while identifying new avenues for expansion across the region.
Brocklehurst brings a career that has moved steadily upward through some of the industry’s most recognisable names. She began at Source Music before moving through Exposure Public Relations and Marketing, Taurus Marketing and LEWIS Global Communications. She then joined BBDO Worldwide as communications manager for the Asia group, rising to regional communications director for Asia. At Wunderman Thompson, she served as head of marketing and PR for APAC before being elevated to APAC growth marketing lead, where she worked closely with local management teams on client expansion strategies, new business acquisition and brand building. Most recently, she served as chief marketing officer at TBWA\Asia.
Brocklehurst, who is returning from maternity leave, was characteristically direct about what she intends to do with the opportunity. “Transitioning back from my final maternity leave is a significant personal milestone,” she said. “While it’s the end of one era at home, it marks the beginning of an ambitious new one professionally.” She left little doubt about the scale of her ambition. “I’m stepping into this role with a clear mission: to make Omnicom Advertising the most awarded, revered, and sought-after agency network in Asia.”
In a region where agency networks are jostling hard for creative dominance and client loyalty, that is a target worth watching. Brocklehurst has spent two decades learning exactly how this game is played. Now she gets to set the rules.
