MAM
Thakur JWT Malaysia’s new planning head
MUMBAI: Bhaskar Thakur, who left J. Walter Thomson (JWT) to join OYO Rooms as head of brand strategy, has returned to JWT Malaysia as the head of strategic planning. He will lead the strategic planning for brands such as Nestle and Shell.
JWT Malaysia recently appointed Saurabh Saksena as the managing director.
Thakur has over 13 years of experience in creating categories, building brands and growing business across FMCG, financial services and technology brands along with leading brand marketing.
Thakur had joined OYO Rooms in October 2015. Earlier, he was the AVP and strategic planning director for JWT in Gurgaon. He had handled strategy for PepsiCo – Slice, Tropicana, Mountain Dew & Gatorage, Nestle, Kitkat, Munch, Milkybar, Alpino, and GSK. He has also worked in the strategic departments of Euro RSCG, Ogilvy & Mather and Publicis.
MAM
Brics Educational Film and Media Association appoints Syed Sultan Ahmed as vice-president
Indian education reformer to boost film and media learning across Brics
NEW DELHI: The Brics Educational Film and Media Association has appointed Syed Sultan Ahmed as its Vice-President, signalling a renewed push to strengthen educational film, media literacy and cross-border school collaboration across Brics and Brics+ nations.
Ahmed becomes the first Indian educator to actively support Befma’s expansion across the growing Brics+ network. In his new role, he will steer strategic programmes aimed at building a more inclusive and innovative media education ecosystem, enabling educators and students to not only consume content thoughtfully but also create it with confidence and global relevance.
“I’m honoured to join Befma at a moment when film and media are becoming vital tools for education and global conversation,” said Ahmed. “I look forward to working with educators, filmmakers and young creators across Brics to expand access, deepen media literacy and give learners the means to tell their own stories to the world.”
Ahmed is widely regarded as a pioneer at the intersection of cinema and education. An education reformer, social entrepreneur and Indian National Award-winning filmmaker, he has spent more than two decades weaving life skills and storytelling into school leadership and curriculum design.
He currently serves as chairperson of The Association of International Schools of India, where he works closely with international curriculum schools to strengthen governance and professional development. He is also the founder and chief learner of LXL Ideas, the organisation behind School Cinema, a film-based pedagogy that integrates curated films into school timetables to teach empathy, emotional intelligence and global awareness. The initiative has reached millions of students across countries.
In addition, Ahmed curates the School Cinema International Film Festival, bringing global cinema into classrooms and encouraging young people to engage critically and creatively with the world around them.
His creative credentials are equally impressive. Ahmed has received seven National Film Awards from the president of India, including honours for Best Educational Film, Best Film on Family Values and Best Film on Sports. His films have travelled to more than 575 international film festivals, earning acclaim for blending artistic storytelling with educational purpose.
With Ahmed stepping into a global leadership role at Befma, the message is clear: in a world shaped by screens, the classroom is no longer confined to four walls. Through film and media, it can stretch across borders, languages and cultures, bringing learners closer to the world and to one another.
