By Our Staff
On his first day as CEO of MTV India, he walked in with colour on his finger nails. Each one different, and bright. A former friend once told this writer that he wanted to buy the man some printed socks from Kuala Lumpur, given the man’s love for all things stylish. At the press conference for an entertainment channel – yes, a real one – that didn’t quite take off, he stood up the podium with the hair on the back of his painted red.
And now Sunil Lulla is all set to add colour and style to Astrum, a PR and advocacy firm based in New Delhi NCR. Better known as its founder and Managing Partner Ashwani Singla’s agency, Astrum fashions itself as “India’s first science-based specialist Reputation Management advisory”. We don’t know that what means, but Astrum sure has had a fair good set of clients over the years.
Lulla, a communique said, will play a vital role in strengthening Astrum’s capability as a trusted advisor to the C Suite and adding fuel to its growth engine. Said Singla: “For over two decades that I have known and worked with Sunil, I have admired how he combines strategic clarity with execution excellence to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Our clients and colleagues will benefit from his sage counsel and proven acumen.”
“The impact of reputation, risk and regulation on business is a major pre-occupation of the C Suite and more so today; I am delighted to be a part of a team that has an enviable track record of helping CXOs successfully negotiate this landscape,” added Lulla.
Lulla should know, having spent a lifetime in the media ecosystem. Eons at Wunderman Thompson’s earlier avatar of JWT, MTV (where he effected a turnaround), Sony Entertainment Television (not yet Sony-Zee), Times Network (yes, with Arnab Goswami), Indya.com (remember the Sunday Times of India roadblock?) for Pradeep Kar’s Microland, HMV (now SaReGaMa), Grey, Balaji Telefilms (yes, with Ekta Kapoor) and television audience measurement body BARC India, where he was tasked by the Board to undertake some cleansing operations.
The role doesn’t appear to be a full-time one, and will be in addition to a slew of other projects Lulla is involved in as part of his firm Linus Adventures. Linus, btw, is Sunil spelt ulta.
Lulla is an active runner (yes, a marathoner), loves swimming, working out in the gym, enjoys his movies, music and books, and if you are on his friend’s list, perhaps the first to greet you on your Big Days. And, yes, he is also good in mixology.
We don’t know how he is with mixing liquids. But the number of engagements and bosses he’s worked surely indicates he can mix things well. And Astrum is, as the communique claims, a “science-based” firm.
There is some history to the chemistry between Lulla and Singla (they known each and worked with each other for over two decades). Science, mixology… fireworks?!