Parul Budhiraja joins Ogilvy as executive vice president

MUMBAI: Parul Budhiraja has joined Ogilvy as executive vice president, marking her return to the agency side after spending the past two years working as a fractional CMO and strategic consultant.

Budhiraja announced the move on LinkedIn, saying she was starting a new position at Ogilvy in September 2026.

Before joining Ogilvy, she worked as a fractional CMO and strategic consultant from April 2024, advising startups and SMEs on brand strategy, marketing, growth and business transformation. During the stint, she also served as principal strategist at Branduits.

Her consulting work included brand and portfolio transformation for Jewell Paints, repositioning work for SRHU University and a brand exercise for pet care chain Vetic.

Budhiraja previously spent close to three years at Cheil India, where she was general manager from November 2021 to August 2024. During her tenure, she worked on sales and marketing initiatives including live commerce and strategic planning for Samsung’s premium smartphone and wearables portfolio.

At Cheil India, she also worked on community marketing and creator programmes for Samsung’s S and Z series. Her profile notes that the live-commerce channel she helped develop generated around Rs 50 crore in sales in its first year.

Before Cheil, Budhiraja spent nearly six years at Contract India, where she served as vice president from March 2016 to November 2021. Her work included brand and marketing assignments for Bata and Droom, among others.

At Contract India, she worked on the rejuvenation of Bata’s brand, contributing to campaigns, sponsorships and new initiatives. Her profile credits the work with a 2.5-fold increase in Bata’s stock share, a 10 per cent rise in footfall and multiple Effie wins. She also worked on Droom’s launch campaign and subsequent product launches.

Budhiraja holds a postgraduate qualification in Brand Communication Management from MICA, which she completed between 2005 and 2007. She also has a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Delhi University.

Her appointment at Ogilvy adds an experienced brand and marketing professional to the agency’s leadership team, following a career spanning advertising, consulting, brand strategy and business growth.