News Headline
Movers & shakers of advertising in 2023
Mumbai: The year 2023 witnessed a significant upliftment for all industries, and advertising experienced noteworthy changes on the people movements’ front. Indiantelevision.com observed it as a year of churn for the advertising industry, marked by numerous exits and entries to and fro Ogilvy India, Dentsu India, BBH India, Havas group, Omnicom, and more…
Before we go ahead with the list, here’s our heartfelt tribute to some of the advertising veterans we lost in 2023.
Most recently we lost advertising veteran Helen Anchan who passed away on 3 December. She was the former head of media planning at Lintas. Anchan is highly esteemed in the industry, serving as a role model for numerous young media professionals. With over 50 years in the media, she witnessed significant transformations, many of which occurred during her dedicated tenure at Lintas.
Advertising veteran and Chairman of daCunha Communications – Sylvester daCunha, who designed the iconic 1966 Amul Girl ‘utterly butterly’ campaign, passed away in Mumbai. He was a doyen of Indian advertising industry who was associated with Amul since 1960s.
We then lost another man who played a key role in shaping advertising in India who is none other than Pratap Bose. Bose was the former DDB Mudra and Ogilvy veteran and lastly the founding partner and chairman of Social Street.
Ad and marketing veteran Aurobindo Mohanty passed away on October 24.
Following are some of the key people movements:
Ogilvy India:
Ogilvy India announced an important leadership transition that will take effect from 1 January 2024. Piyush Pandey, currently chairman global creative & executive chairman of Ogilvy India will serve as the chief advisor.
Hephzibah Pathak will take on the role of executive chairperson of Ogilvy India. She will be Ogilvy India’s first-ever woman in this role.
SN Rane, group executive co-chairman India & COO South Asia, will work as business advisor to Ogilvy Asia Pacific.
The Advertising Club:
The Advertising Club elected Rana Barua as president. Partha Sinha will serve as immediate past president on managing committee for the ensuing year.
IAA:
Avinash Pandey was re-elected as president of India chapter of IAA.
BBH India
BBH India appointed Ashwin Palkar as ECD and head of experience. Palkar is a seasoned creative leader with 17 years of experience in advertising.
BBH India appointed Anupam Chauhan as senior vice president – account management. He has over 18 years of proven success in leading advertising agency teams across India, Southeast Asia, the UK, and Canada.
Havas media group:
Havas India chairman and chief creative officer Bobby Pawar stepped down from his role. He joined the network in November 2018.
Havas Worldwide India appointed Kundan Joshee as managing partner & head – West & South. He has nearly 25 years of experience in the advertising industry and stints at Wunderman Thompson, Ogilvy, FCB, Cheil Worldwide, and Grey Group.
Mohini Varma has joined as executive vice president & planning head – North, and Jasravee Kaur Chandra has been appointed as senior vice president of Havas Worldwide India.
dentsu:
Dentsu Creative India appointed Shweta Khosla and Punit Singh as executive vice president (EVP) – strategy & planning.
Dentsu Creative India appointed Aneesh Jaisinghani as Sr group executive creative director.
dentsu X, the media agency from dentsu India, appointed Jose Leon as chief executive officer (CEO).
Dentsu Creative India onboards Surjo Dutt as CCO – West & South.
Shisham Digital
Shisham Digital onboarded Ankoor Dasguupta as their chief marketing officer.
QYOU Media India
QYOU Media India CEO Simran Hoon stepped from her current role at the company.
QYOU Media Inc appointed Raj Mishra, as group CEO of QYOU Media’s India.
Sociowash
Sociowash has appointed Amisha Gulati as its new business head to lead Mumbai operations. He has over 13 years of extensive experience as a seasoned marketing professional.
Omnicom
Aditya Kanthy as CEO of the newly formed Omnicom Advertising Services group in India.
Alex Lubar has been elevated as global CEO of DDB Worldwide.
Leo Burnett
Dheeraj Sinha stepped down from his roles of Leo Burnett South Asia co-chief executive and BBH India chairman and joined FCB as group CEO India & South Asia.
Publicis Groupe appointed Rajdeepak Das as South Asia CCO and Leo Burnett, South Asia Chairman.
Enormous Group:
Moumita Pal joins Enormous as head of creative Delhi
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
