MAM
O&M India appoints Joono Simon as ECD for Bangalore office
MUMBAI: Joono Simon has been appointed as the executive creative director of Ogilvy & Mather, Bangalore.
Simon was previously heading Leo Burnett Solutions – Colombo as chief creative officer.
Before his Colombo stint, Simon was heading the creative team in Mudra South, overseeing the Bangalore, Chennai and Kochi offices.
Prior to that, he was senior vice president and senior creative director of JWT Chennai. He has also worked across agencies such as Contract, RK Swami BBDO, SSC&B Lintas and MAA Bozell.
Ogilvy president south Prateek Srivastava said, “We are sure that under Joono‘s creative leadership, and with the guidance of our national creative directors, Ogilvy Bangalore‘s creative reputation will shine brighter than ever before. Joono comes to us with a robust and much applauded background having won at Cannes, Spikes Asia, and at Adfest.
Simon joins Ogilvy with 18 years of industry experience and has worked on multinational brands such as Jockey, Louis Philippe, Himalaya, Signature Whiskey, Peter England, Ford, and Pepsi Foods. He was recently named in the top 50 creative rankings for Asia Pacific.
Brands
Burda Media sells BurdaLuxury to Jaipur Capital in Southeast Asia push
Deal hands regional media portfolio to Singapore investor eyeing luxury growth
MUMBAI: Burda Media has agreed to sell its Southeast Asia-focused business, BurdaLuxury, to Jaipur Capital, marking a strategic shift for both companies as they double down on their respective growth priorities.
The deal will see Jaipur Capital acquire BurdaLuxury’s media operations across Thailand, India, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The portfolio spans content marketing and media brands in travel, luxury and aviation, giving the investor a ready-made regional footprint and a sizeable audience base.
Jaipur Capital plans to build on this foundation to create a premium media network in Southeast Asia, blending high-end editorial with scalable digital platforms. As part of the transaction, all BurdaLuxury employees, including its management team, will move to the new owner, ensuring continuity as the business enters its next phase.
For Burda Media, the sale is part of a broader strategy to sharpen its focus on core European markets while scaling investments in digital-first opportunities. The company will, however, maintain its interest in the region through Burda Principal Investments, its global growth capital arm.
“This transaction reflects our commitment to sharpening our international focus while ensuring that BurdaLuxury continues to thrive in Southeast Asia,” said Burda Media CEO Jan Wachtel, adding that Jaipur Capital recognises the strength of the brands and teams involved.
Jaipur Capital, meanwhile, is betting big on the region’s appetite for premium content. “This acquisition significantly strengthens our premium content ecosystem,” said Jaipur Capital director Vikas Johari. He highlighted the business’s strong digital tilt, with 46 per cent of revenues coming from online channels, alongside a diversified presence across five markets.
The numbers tell a compelling story. BurdaLuxury clocks 48 million annual page views and reaches more than 40 million followers on social media, with no single market contributing over a quarter of total revenues. Jaipur Capital now aims to expand these brands further into Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines, while also exploring opportunities in the Middle East, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
With this deal, Burda Media trims its global footprint to focus on depth over breadth, while Jaipur Capital steps onto a bigger stage in the premium content space. If execution matches ambition, this could be a defining chapter for luxury media in the region.
