MAM
Rohitash Srivastava named Planning Head, Ogilvy North
MUMBAI: Ogilvy Gurugram has appointed Rohitash Srivastava as the head of its planning unit. Rohitash was previously the National head of Planning at Orchard Advertising, based in Bangalore.
An alumnus of SRCC and MICA, Rohitash has explored the domain of strategy from various perspectives. As a communication planner in agencies like DDB, McCann and Leo Burnett; as a strategy consultant when he co-founded Water Consulting (now Interbrand India); and as an experience strategist when he led the function for SapientNitro in India.
Rohitash believes in solutions that are powered by creativity and his portfolio also reflects this belief and diversity of experience – with work for brands like Amazon, Saffola, Thums Up, Limca; digital acts for British Airways, Nestle, Grants Whisky or even digital transformation programs for clients like the Taj Group of Hotels. His work has been awarded multiple times at the Effies (including the Grand Effie), APAC Effies, WARC and features in the Facebook India case study playbook.
Kapil Arora, President, Ogilvy North: Getting a multi-faceted planning lead like Rohitash on board, is in line with the One-Ogilvy approach to building brands, with strategic planning stringing together our channel-agnostic thinking and solutions. I’m looking forward to working with Rohitash in our Gurugram office, as he brings in an infectious energy, an envious track record and our shared passion for the creative product, as a means to deliver on client business objectives.
Prem Narayan, Ogilvy India Planning lead: Clients today are looking for seamless end to end marketing solutions. An ideal strategic planner needs to have core brand building skills to craft big culture shaping brand ideas and have a sharp understanding of new media, data and technology to create great brand experiences. In Rohitash, we have some one who straddles both brilliantly. What I found refreshing in him is his ability to 'simplify', in a marketing world that is getting rather complicated. Above all, he is a happy person who we feel will build a happy culture. That is very important for us at Ogilvy.
On his part, Rohitash sees his move to Ogilvy as an opportunity to further unleash the potential of its impressive portfolio of clients. He says, Even before I started a conversation with Ogilvy, I was aware that they have a huge leverage with clients, a great culture and and some of the best talent in the country. What I wasn't prepared for, was to meet a bunch of people who were unanimously obsessed about just one thing – their product. I am excited to be part of this team and my ambition for Ogilvy North is to build a cutting edge strategy team that further sharpens the work and leads to client solutions that help build business.
MAM
Havas Life names João Camacho chief creative officer for India & Middle East
Global healthcare creative João Camacho to lead bold campaigns across two regions
MUMBAI: Havas Life has appointed João Camacho as chief creative officer for India and the Middle East, signalling the network’s drive for standout creativity in two of the world’s fastest-growing healthcare markets.
Based in Mumbai, João will report to Eric Weisberg, global chief creative officer at Havas Health, and Dorelle Kulkarni, managing director of Havas Life Mumbai.
João brings more than 20 years of global experience in healthcare communications, having worked across Africa, Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Middle East. He is known for turning complex science into human-centred, impactful campaigns.
Before joining Havas, João led creative work at Publicis in Dubai, partnering with pharmaceutical and health organisations to launch treatments, build disease-awareness platforms, and deliver patient-first communications that drive measurable results. His work has been recognised at FIAP, CCP, New York Festivals, and other top international award shows. He has also served as jury member at Cannes Lions Health, Clio Health, The One Show, and more.
“João is a truly global creative leader who understands how healthcare brands need to speak differently across cultures and markets,” said Eric Weisberg. “His curiosity, creativity, and experience make him a powerful addition as we grow in India and the Middle East.”
Havas Health global chief client officer and CEO Apac-Latam Charles Houdoux added, “João’s appointment reflects our ambition to build world-class creative leadership locally while staying connected to Havas Health’s global vision. He brings the cultural fluency and creative confidence these markets demand.”
Dorelle Kulkarni said, “We’re thrilled to welcome João. His mix of strategic thinking, empathy, and creativity is exactly what clients and patients need in today’s fast-changing healthcare landscape. He will help us strengthen Havas Life in India and deliver meaningful impact.”
João joins Havas Life at a time of global momentum, as the network invests in talent, innovation, and AI-powered creativity. At CES 2026, Havas unveiled Ava, a large language model portal designed to make AI more accessible across the network and accelerate creative collaboration through its Converged.AI platform.
“Joining Havas Health feels like stepping onto a stage made for bold ideas,” said João Camacho. “Leading creative across India and the Middle East, a region buzzing with energy and possibility, is thrilling and humbling. I can’t wait to bring my perspective and passion to shape campaigns that inspire, connect, and make a real difference.”
With João at the creative helm, Havas Life looks set to turn bold ideas into campaigns that resonate, inspire, and leave a lasting mark across India and the Middle East.
