AD Agencies
Weekend Unwind with: Thought Blurb Communications’ Israa Khan
Mumbai: With another weekend upon us, it is time to unwind with the latest Q&A edition of Indiantelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind – a series of informal chats that peek into the minds of business executives through a fun lens in an attempt to get to know the person behind the title a little better.
In this week’s session, we have Thought Blurb Communications associate vice president – brand solutions Israa Khan.
Israa embarked on her professional journey as a trainee at Thought Blurb Communications in Mumbai, and her passion and dedication have propelled her to the role of associate vice president. Over a period of 10 years with Thought Blurb Communications, Israa has worked on key accounts of industry giants like Reliance Digital and Parle Products.
She holds a keen interest in audio-visual communication and her forte lies in crafting highly successful TV and digital campaigns for these esteemed brands. She also specialises in translating candid slice-of-life insights into compelling and effective propositions and ideas. Her approach is rooted in creativity and strategy, delivering results that leave a lasting impact.
Beyond the boardroom, she thrives as a team player and an avid sports lover. You might catch her engaging in lively debates about the finer nuances of Beckham’s free-kicks or Kohli’s straight drive when she is not brainstorming creative strategies with her dynamic team.
So, without further ado, here it goes…
Your mantra for Life
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
A Book you are currently reading/plan to read
I plan to read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. His interesting definition of hard work caught my attention; ‘Hard work is a prison sentence only if it does not have meaning. Once it does, it becomes the kind of thing that makes you grab your wife around the waist and dance a jig.’
Your Fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic
Go easy, but do it.
Your comfort food
French Fries with a chilled glass of Coke.
When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going
It’s all part of the plan.
Your guilty pleasure
Binge-watching while I’m all cooped up in bed in my most comfy pajamas.
A Life lesson you learnt the hard way
It’s not always about you. Sometimes you can take a backseat and see life drive you.
What gets you excited about life
Meeting new people, knowing them, the similarities, the differences and exchanging life experiences. There is so much to learn there.
What’s on top of your bucket list
I have been an avid sports lover and a David Beckham fan since I was little. On top of my list is to interview David Beckham and take a sneak peek into his sports life surrounding all the controversies, his freekicks and his unbeatable hairstyles while revealing the secret behind being one of the most popular faces amongst advertisers.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be
Travel. You can earn your money back but not your time.
One thing you would most like to change about the world
Focus on appreciation over flaws.
An activity that keeps you motivated/charged during tough times
Retail therapy. Reward yourself, pamper yourself, treat yourself and there’s nothing you can’t overcome.
What lifts your spirits when life gets you down
A drive all by myself in search for an unexplored café.
Your go-to stress buster
An episode of Friends, The Office or Schitt’s Creek.
AD Agencies
WPP Media elevates Dipti Gulati to vp, client growth for APMEA
Singapore-based executive to commercialise AI-powered solutions business across the region
SINGAPORE: WPP Media has promoted Dipti Gulati to vice president, client growth, handing her the mandate to lead the commercialisation of its solutions business across APMEA.
Based in Singapore, Gulati steps up after serving as senior director, client growth, where she drove expansion across APAC spanning programmatic, search, social, CTV, DOOH and cross-channel offerings. Now, she is tasked with translating advanced AI, data and technology ecosystems into scalable growth strategies for global brands across FMCG, luxury, F&B and financial services.
“I commercialise the future of media — at scale, across APMEA,” Gulati said, announcing her appointment. She added that she turns advanced data, AI and technology ecosystems into real commercial outcomes, shifting the conversation “from a pure media play to owning business outcomes”.
Her brief is unapologetically future-facing: addressable, accountable and AI-powered media. She will work with cross-market teams across APMEA, bringing together diverse perspectives and cultures to accelerate growth and build what she calls the “future of media”.
Gulati’s rise caps nearly two years at WPP Media and follows a six-month stint as regional director of growth, APAC, at Mindshare, where she led new business development and expanded capabilities for existing clients. Earlier, as global account director for integrated marketing communications on the Unilever business, she drove communications strategy for multi-million dollar beauty and wellbeing brands across Southeast Asia.
Before that, Gulati spent close to two years as associate director at Warner Bros. Discovery in Singapore. She also served as director, strategic partnerships and market development at TrustSphere, leading go-to-market and growth initiatives across Asia and evangelising relationship analytics to C-level executives. TrustSphere, credited by industry and Harvard Business School case studies as a pioneer in relationship analytics, became a springboard for her deeper engagement with data-driven growth.
Her board and evangelist roles at the Asia Cloud Computing Association and its Asia Analytics Alliance further sharpened her regional policy and analytics credentials. Earlier chapters include marketing consultancy at Blockchain Foundry and a seven-year run at Warner Bros. Discovery in India, where she led ad-sales and business development for HBO and WB across north and east India, delivering record billings. She began her career at Diligent Media Corporation Ltd and Bennett, Coleman and Co. Ltd..
From ad-sales floors in Delhi and Mumbai to boardrooms in Singapore, Gulati’s arc mirrors the industry’s own shift — from selling spots and slots to engineering outcomes through data and AI. At WPP Media, the brief is clear: scale smarter, move faster and turn algorithms into advantage.
