MxMIndia

Tag: Colvyn Harris

  • Rana Barua joins Contract as COO succeeding Umesh Shrikhande who left recently

    Rana Barua quits Law & Kenneth to join Contract as COO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Rana Barua

    Two decades back, he had joined the advertising major as a trainee in the Kolkata office. And now he’s back to the fold, right on top. JWT South Asia has announced the appointment of Rana Barua as the COO of Contract Advertising, India. Mr Barua succeeds Umesh Shrikhande, who recently left the agency.

     

    A seasoned media and marketing professional with nearly two decades of experience, Rana Barua joins from Law & Kenneth, where he was the COO. “Rana has diverse management experience with a proven track record that makes him an ideal choice for Contract, one of India’s leading independent integrated advertising agencies”, said Colvyn Harris, CEO JWT South Asia on the appointment. “I am confident that Rana with his experience across advertising and integrated brand solutions will ensure that Contract continues to be a very successful agency,” Mr Harris said.

     

    Colvyn Harris

    “I am excited with the opportunity of being a part of the Contract story. It is a wonderful time for our industry as it continues to evolve so rapidly. Contract is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this and I am confident I will be able to facilitate this process by partnering with the senior management team”, said Mr Barua on his appointment which is effective today (February 4).

     

     

    “Contract has always been an attractive destination for people who are passionate about creativity and process of brand building. Rana with his diverse experience will add value to Contract and will help take the journey ahead. We look forward to having him on board,” said Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and CCO, Contract

     

    Ravi Deshpande

    Prior to Law & Kenneth, Mr Barua was COO of RED FM (2010-12) and the EVP Programming and Marketing for Radio City (2006-10) where he successfully repositioned the radio station to make it amongst the top two stations in the country. He started his career in advertising having worked at HTA (JWT) in 1993-94, Ogilvy (1995-96), McCann (1996-2000) & Rediffusion Y&R (2000-05).

     

    His category experience includes working with brands like Renault, eBay, ING Life, Godrej, Reckitt Benckiser, J&J, Gillette Parker, Microsoft, HP, Tata Tea, ZydusCadila, Levers, Tata AIG & AIA, Marico, Virgin Atlantic, ITC, to name a few.

     

     

     

  • JWT's North Asia Area Director and Greater China CEO Tom Doctoroff and JWT India CEO Colvyn Harris will succeed Michael Maedel in the restructured region

    Colvyn Harris to be South Asia JWT CEO, to be incharge of all JWT cos in India including Contract

    By A Correspondent

     

    JWT Worldwide Chairman and CEO Bob Jeffrey has announced a leadership restructure to reflect Asia’s growing global importance, and underscore JWT’s commitment to the region’s diverse and vibrant markets.

     

    JWT’s North Asia Area Director and Greater China CEO Tom Doctoroff and JWT India CEO Colvyn Harris will succeed Michael Maedel in the restructured region.

     

    Mr Doctoroff will take on the role of CEO, JWT Asia Pacific (APAC), at the end of this year. In this role, he will oversee Northeast and Southeast Asia, as well as Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand.

     

    Mr Harris will become South Asia CEO (India, Sri Lanka and Nepal) and take on added responsibilities of JWT’s Indian companies, including Contract Advertising, Hungama Digital Services, JWT Mindset and Encompass. Messrs Doctoroff and Harris will report to Mr Jeffrey.

     

    Mr Maedel, who has spent 40 years in the industry and 22 years in leadership roles at JWT, including eight as President of Asia Pacific, will move into the role of Non-Executive Chairman for Asia.

     

    “Tom and Colvyn are both dynamic leaders with strong connections to the markets, the consumers and the clients,” said Mr Jeffrey.  “By leveraging the strengths and strategic insights of these two very talented people, JWT is uniquely positioned to maximize growth in this critical and dynamic region.”

     

    These changes come at a time when JWT APAC, which has an 83-year history in Asia, continues to gather greater momentum. JWT APAC has set multiple benchmarks, bringing home first-time Cannes Grand Prix Lions for Malaysia in 2004, India in 2008, Japan in 2009 and, most recently, China in 2011.  The company has also deepened the scope and scale of the services it offers in the market, from digital to shopper marketing, through organic growth and acquisitions.

     

    “I am very excited to build on JWT’s past accomplishments across Asia Pacific,” said Mr Doctoroff. “We are in the midst of a revolution of consumer empowerment. I look forward to working with client partners in this fast-changing region to find new synergies between classic brand building and next-stage consumer engagement in the digital era.”

     

    Mr Doctoroff, who has 20 years’ experience with JWT, continues to display his commitment to building the agency’s footprint in Asia and fostering its ethos of Worldmade ideas. Under his leadership, JWT North Asia has diversified into customer relationship marketing, field marketing, promotion network management and digital engagement. A Detroit native, <r Doctoroff joined JWT in 1992, moved to Hong Kong in 1994, and became the Managing Director of JWT Shanghai in 1998. In 2002, he was appointed Greater China CEO and Northeast Asia Area Director, a remit that included Korea, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.  Japan came under his purview in 2008, when Doctoroff assumed the role of North Asia Area Director.  He speaks fluent Mandarin.

     

    Doctoroff is credited as being the industry’s preeminent thought leader on advertising and marketing in China. This past May he published his second best-selling book on Chinese consumers, titled “What Chinese Want.” Prior to JWT, Mr Doctoroff worked for Leo Burnett. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago.

     

    The restructuring reflects a renewed focus on India by JWT Worldwide. JWT employs over 1,500  people in India, more than any other single market worldwide, and earns a significant amount of revenue from this critical, high-growth country.

     

    Mr Harris, who has 33 years at JWT, continues to lead India’s largest and most admired advertising agency as CEO South Asia. He has held various industry leadership roles, including President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India, and has addressed global audiences as a speaker at the World Economic Forum, London Business School and The Wharton School.  Under his leadership, JWT India has built a formidable reputation with a diverse spectrum of traditional, mainstream, activation, events and digital marketing services capabilities.

     

    “We will continue to build and acquire the most diversified platforms to deliver on the market ambitions of the clients we service, thereby further consolidating our leadership position. Brands are the center of our focus, and with our skills and capabilities we deliver marketing solutions across the most diverse of offerings to meet the challenges of the dynamic markets we operate in,” said Mr Harris. “This new development ensures that our clients continue to have greater access to the best of our services and talent, not only in the country, but across South Asia.”

     

    Mr Maedel, who will continue to stay in Singapore, will work with Messrs Doctoroff and Harris in an advisory role until he retires 2014.

     

    “Michael’s exceptional leadership skills have cemented JWT’s reputation as a leader in both strategy and creativity in every region he managed, from Europe to Asia,” said Mr Jeffrey.  “The creative and commercial success that JWT APAC has enjoyed is a testament to his leadership.”

     

    Mr Jeffrey continued, “Michael is deeply respected by staff and clients, and the entire company has benefited from his vision and guidance. He is an unparalleled resource, and we are thrilled that he will remain a core part of the management team until his retirement.”

     

    Mr Maedel, who holds a degree in Economics from the University of Vienna, started his career at Young & Rubicam, and in 1985 became Chairman of Ted Bates Werbagentur. Maedel joined JWT in 1990 as Chairman and CEO of JWT Germany, and in 1993 added the role of Area Director Central and Eastern Europe.  In 1997, Mr Maedel was named the President of Europe, Middle East and Africa, and in 2004, Asia was added to his portfolio.  He has served as a member of JWT’s board since 1992.

     

    “I’ve had the real pleasure of charting a course for our company in some of the world’s most dynamic regions through periods which have seen our industry go through some pretty seismic changes. I’ve also been privileged to work with some of the most talented people around the world,” said Mr Maedel.  “I look forward to working with Tom and Colvyn through this transition period.”

     

  • JWT acquires 51% stake in Hungama Digital

    From the MxM Infodesk

     

    Leading advertising agency JWT has acquired a majority stake in Hungama Digital Services, the digital and promotions marketing division of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment. Although the joint communique issued does not state it, MxMIndia learns that the JWT stake in Hungama Digital will be 51 percent.

     

    The new entity which will be called Hungama Digital Services Pvt. Ltd.will be a full-service digital agency specializing in digital marketing and social media solutions. As part of the acquisition, Hungama’s activations arm, Hungama Promo Marketing will become a part of Hungama Digital Services Pvt. Ltd. and provide an engagement platform linked to online and offline deliveries.

     

    Neeraj Roy

    Said Neeraj Roy, MD and CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment, “With JWT, we are now part of the largest advertising network in the world. Hungama Digital Services is the coming together of two exceptional teams in a globally relevant market.” He added, “India is at the cusp of a digital revolution with the advent of 500+ million consumers getting online in the next 3-4 years. From augmented reality to developing applications for connected devices, Hungama Digital Services has been at the forefront of digital technology. With this partnership\ with JWT we hope to offer integrated digital and experiential services to our clients and prepare brands to connect, interact and now transact with their customers.”

     

    Hungama Digital Services has been a dominant player in the digital space for 13 years and is spread across six cities in India. The existing team of 120 people, who will join Hungama Digital Services, will continue to drive the agency, including servicing old and new clients and offer creative and promo marketing services, viral marketing campaigns, social media marketing and mobile marketing, applications, managing websites and video services.

     

    Colvyn Harris

    “Digital is our next new frontier.The idea of the partnership is to build a digital offering for our clients so we can live up to being a ‘single source’ partner across all their ‘marketing solutions’ needs. What will be most effective in the future is a new set of talented, digital high end specialists who will add new skills and capabilities to what JWT already offers to its clients. We want all our clients to be leaders in their respective categories.” said Colvyn Harris, CEO of JWT India.

     

    With this acquisition, Hungama Digital Services along with JWT Digital capabilities will be a digital thought-leader with delivery capability in digital ideation, production, and social media.By our association with many of India’s largest clients, Hungama Digital Services will be able to create the right traction and critical mass within the digital and business community in India.

     

    “We have greatly expanded our digital capability across the region, and we are not standing still. JWT will continue to hire new digital experts and explore possible acquisitions across the region this year,” said Michael Maedel, President, JWT Asia Pacific.

     

  • With Bobby Pawar at the helm, CEO Colvyn Harris hopes to see JWT India achieve greater creative focus

    Raising the Bar: Colvyn on JWT with Bobby

     

    By Johnson Napier

     

    The last few days have witnessed media and advertising circles going gaga over news of a restructuring exercise at JWT and the surprise coronation of Bobby Pawar as the Chief Creative Officer & Managing Partner, alongside the elevation of three of its key ECDS to the post of NCD – Swati Bhattacharya, Tista Sen and Senthil Kumar. But what has kept the industry guessing is the swiftness with which this transformation has been carried about and who from JWT is responsible for this smooth makeover.

     

    MxM India meets the man who has effected the change – Colvyn J Harris, CEO, JWT India. In a detailed conversation, Mr Harris reveals the new creative direction that the agency will root for with the coming in of Bobby Pawar, the unmatched experience that would be delivered to clients and how he could get back to serving the industry with the easing of the creative function at JWT. Excerpts:

     

    Q: Apart from the CCO and NCD level restructuring exercise, have there been any other senior-level elevations at JWT?

    The restructuring exercise where creative is concerned is over. We have Bobby Pawar as Chief Creative Officer; he will be supported by three NCDs comprising Swati Bhattacharya in Delhi, Tista Sen in Mumbai and Senthil Kumar in the South. There are a set of ECDs who would work in partnership with the above team. There won’t be any replacements as such where the earlier ECD posts are concerned.

     

    Q: Were there any other candidates you considered other than Bobby Pawar, including any international contenders?

    We did consider international candidates but we were very clear that we needed somebody who had roots in India, who understands the country in which we operate – the nuances and sensibilities of India. As for Bobby, he has international experience, having worked in BBDO and Ogilvy in the US. So that’s the best of both the worlds that one could ask for.

     

    Q: Was it a long chase to get Bobby Pawar take up the offer at JWT?

    It was not a chase actually; it was fairly mutual. We felt that he had the right qualities to lead and help us deliver on a vision which is to be the very best in what we do.

     

    Q: Knowing Bobby’s liking towards working for an indigenously-run agency like Mudra (before Omnicom buying out a majority stake), what was the differentiating factor that convinced him to take up an offer at the WPP-run agency?

    I think where JWT is concerned, we may be global and affiliated to WPP but we are finally rooted in India. If you trace the lineage of JWT India, it is actually Hindustan Thompson Associates (HTA). We have not shed any of the institutional attributes that JWT or HTA was built on. So I think that foundation continues and we are as Indian or as global as a client would want us to be. For creativity to flourish and thrive and do well, you need a platform. JWT has some large and reputed clients. We work with the leaders in every category so the work you do is going to get visible. So it’s an opportunity that presents itself to all of us who work for JWT. And for talent, what more can you hope for other than the set of clients that we have? We work with the best known Indian clients and we work with the world’s most admired brands, whether it is Nike or Pepsi…

     

    Q: How has the industry reacted to the nomination of Bobby Pawar? Moreover, what has been Sir Martin Sorrell’s reaction to the appointment?

    Sir Martin Sorrell and Bob Jeffrey (Worldwide Chairman and CEO, JWT) are very happy with the decision. They realize that I also need a partner to carry forward this responsibility. JWT is a big ship, we have been suit-led for too long. So this gives us a nice balance.

     

    Q: Yes, don’t you think the agency has been suit-led for a while now?

    That’s not how you should look at it because we have eight ECDs, because our scale of operations is large – in Delhi we have around 380 people. So if you were to compare you’ll understand that wherever we operate we are completely full-service; all skills operate in all offices. We just didn’t have somebody to drive the creative agenda for us with a greater focus. That’s because when you run businesses or lead an agency on a management framework you take your eyes off the ball on a greater platform. So Bobby’s going to play that role.

     

    Q: Having being suit-led for some time, would you then agree that the agency did witness a creative slump post the going away of senior resources like Agnello Dias and Josy Paul?

    Not at all. Whatever talk you hear is all loose talk. When people don’t know then there is talk but finally the success of a company is derived by how our brands perform in the marketplace – which is a great success as all of them are leaders. The success of an agency is how our people perform – again, all of them have done extremely well, and finally, where success is concerned there are financial benchmarks and there are creative benchmarks and we have been very consistent in winning. Senthil is an international award winner, the Mumbai office is the most awarded agency… so you have got all the success stories that you need.

     

    Q: How would you also react to the claim that your former creative heads took along some clients with them after they quit JWT?

    They didn’t take clients as such; they took projects along with them. We still have over 200 clients; we can’t be a hundred percent of every client all the time. I am sure a client chose to exercise his judgment on an idea which will help his business. We definitely respect that and welcome it. In both cases, they got something good so I am happy.

     

    Q: Coming back to Bobby Pawar, what would be expected out of him? What’s his mandate as CCO?

    Firstly, he has a team – he has NCDs, ECDs and a team of about 300 people in creative. So he’s gonna have to set an agenda for creative. That means there will be a vision and a purpose that we want to go back to. And after that it is actually how do you achieve those objectives – how do you deliver on that vision, how do you execute that vision, how do you get the work to look better… So that’s the agenda that he would be riding on.

     

    Q: Do you expect Bobby to get his set of clients from Mudra to JWT or wish such a natural progression to occur given his stature at Mudra?

    We are not looking at that. In our gameplan, Bobby fits extremely well and our strategy is to improve the work, change the benchmark, create new standards…and that’s what we are doing.

     

    Q: So while Bobby gets to set a new creative agenda, do you see a creative shift coming about at JWT?

    As I said, our agency has been very successful. What we will do is that we will jointly set a vision, and as a team we will have to work jointly on delivering on that vision.

     

    Q: Would Bobby lend his expertise to other domains under JWT like digital, activation, public relations, direct marketing, etc…?

    Yes, of course. We talk about idea-centricity – the idea at the centre based on a brand and how you seamlessly use every touchpoint to the audiences identified. So it’s a one seamless idea which we will try and make it a big platform idea.

     

    Q: With Bobby at the helm, will the focus now be on reclaiming the ‘most awarded agency’ tag – that was his claim to fame at Mudra, making it the most awarded agency in recent years?

    If you look at our work, we are all over the place. Now with Bobby at the helm, we want to raise the bar and improve our standards. We want to be recognized firstly at an Indian platform, we want to be recognized globally and we definitely want to improve our body of work. But all said and done, it is not about winning awards; it is also important that the work we do for clients is effective and successful for them in the market. That’s priority No 1. If that work goes on to win awards then that’s fantastic. So it’s actually an and/and rather than an either/or.

     

    Q: Any new verticals being planned for take-off?

    Nothing as such. We have design, digital, Thomson Social, Encompass… so we are not looking at anything else right now. But digital is something that we are looking at going forward with and that’s why we have hired Max Hegerman.

     

    Q: Moving on to you, how would your responsibilities change, going forward? Is there anything that has been planned for you?

    I think my responsibilities will reduce, hopefully, because I have been on a treadmill and a rollercoaster at the same time last year. Hopefully this new change will give me some breathing time…

     

    Q:…It could also allow you to get back to serving the industry and catering to several issues like you did while you were the Chairperson of Goafest.

    I used to be involved on a big scale earlier but I have cut it down as it takes away a lot of your time, but it’s important for us industry leaders to be a part of the industry; to engage with people who make it what it is today so that this industry, firstly, is successful. On an overall basis, it’s industry definitely for me; it is what you give back as well. And also the network as well; we are a global company, and that is also equally important for me to look after.

     

    Q: Lastly, if you were to set a goalpost for JWT in 2012, what would that be?

    I think if by the end of 2012, we are able to do good work on our key clients and that is acknowledged by clients first, and then maybe awards as the second parameter, I think that will be a great step forward.

  • There's plenty happening at the JWT office as the agency restructures to bring in three NCDs. Also, a quick interview with Bobby Pawar [Story Updated]

    JWT restructures to bring in 3 NCDs

     

    By Tuhina Anand & Shubhangi Mehta

     

    After roping in Bobby Pawar as its Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner, JWT is now bringing in more changes in its team structure which Colvyn Harris its CEO dubs it as `transformational changes’.  It is learnt that JWT has brought in a three National Creative Director structure which includes Swati Bhattacharyya in Delhi, Tista Sen in Mumbai and Senthil Kumar down South. All three NCDs will have a team of ECDs under them and when Bobby Pawar joins which will probably be in March 2012 as the CCO , he will spearhead this structure.

    Ms Bhattacharya has been heading the GSK business at JWT while Ms Sen and Mr Kumar have been Executive Creative Directors at the agency.

    On the restructuring, Mr Harris said, “I cannot think of 3 more deserving and talented people who have imbibed the best of JWT values and who believe in the JWT Company. It has taken us some time to recognize that their current roles and responsibilities far exceed what national creative directors in other agencies are responsible for. Given the sheer scale of our operations, and our most admired line-up of India’s finest and the world’s most admired brands, it was imperative to recognize the creative leadership team with a designation based on their role.”

    “Given the exigencies of the market and the pressure which is being brought to bear on us to improve our creative work – especially from clients who are in the more competitive categories – we believe that the combined skills and talents of Swati,Tista and Senthil will be able to provide the best solutions for our clients, our brands, and our people, added Mr Harris.

    Talking to MxM India on the creative pillars that JWT is creating, Mr Harris said, “The roadmap that JWT has drawn of being a creative powerhouse and being creative led and creative driven organisation will be achieved by these changes. Bobby along with the team will help us in realizing this vision. In fact, people who are saying that the CCO position at JWT has been unstable should know that Adrian came as the Delhi office head so we didn’t really have anyone take the CCO position for long. Bobby’s position in that sense is of true CCO who will lead a team of around 300 creative people at JWT along with the newly restructured team.”

    It may be recalled that when Josy Paul had joined JWT as its NCD, Agnello Dias had also been promoted as NCD and the agency followed the dual NCD structure at the helm but no CCO. It was only later when Mr Paul quit that Mr Dias was made CCO, though he too quit soon after to start Taproot India.

    Mr Harris also said  that one should gear up to hear of some more announcements at JWT very soon. The agency has also recently roped in Max Hegerman as Senior VP and its Head to look after JWT’s Digital strategy.

    On his mandate at JWT, Mr Bobby Pawar said, “My job at JWT will be ensure we change our benchmarks and set new standards. Critical would be in setting a vision and then delivering on it. JWT will be the magnet for the best talent in the industry and offer the most creative solutions ever seen.”

     

    INTERVIEW

    Bobby Pawar, the guy who is taking over as Chief Creative Officer and Managing Partner of JWT, has been responsible for turning around the agencies which he has worked for. When he was at BBDO in Chicago he weaved his magic to make one of the hottest shop in the region. In India too, with Mudra as its Chief Creative Officer he has been instrumental in the agency winning awards and accolades on many international and desi platforms. The agency has done some high decibel advertising like the ones for Volkswagen launch in India and there after its variants that had caught eyes of many. With Mr Pawar’s next destination being JWT which has  seen causalities in quick succession including Bruce Matchett, Josy Paul, Agnello Dias and Adrian Miller. Looks like JWT is gearing up for combat and shut the wagging tongues of the industry. Here’s an interview with Bobby Pawar who sportingly answered our questions though he steered away from some specifics.

     

    Q: Omnicom as a parent, so many awards in the kitty all with your leadership… why then did someone like Bobby Pawar leave?

    I guess I am addicted to challenges and the task of polishing JWT’s creative luster and raising the game there was just too seductive to pass up.

     

    Q: What is the mandate at JWT, also we have seen the creative head at JWT being an unsteady wicket in last few years, should we expect a change now?

    Colvyn didn’t asked me to partner him on the mission of maintaining status quo. I would hardly be the right guy for that. Both of us want JWT to evolve, to build on the past, but look firmly at the future. The focus will be on the work and the people who do it. And that means the entire agency. We don’t just want a highly creative creative department, but a highly creative company. Everybody has a role to play in making sure the solutions we think up, sell, and execute are as great as the brands need them to be.

     

    Q: Was the Omnicom deal anything to do with your moving out?

    If anything the Omnicom deal almost kept me back. That is a great company and I have the highest regard for John Wren, Chuck Brymer, John Zeigler et all. They made me feel very welcome, but as they say a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.

     

    Q: How would you sum up your stint at Mudra?

    I loved it. See, I’m not leaving because I am unhappy. When I started nobody gave us a chance. Four long and hard years later, our creative reputation is the opposite of what it was. We did pathbreaking work for Volkswagen, Big Cinemas (Silent National Anthem), 7-Up, Union bank Of India, Emirates, Philips, Economic Times, McDowell’s No. 1, etc. We were the winningest DDB agency at Cannes this year along with DDB Paris, 3rd in the agency of the year standings at Spikes and we had the most metals Abbys. Not too shabby, right?

     

    Q: What should we expect from Bobby Pawar in his JWT avatar?

    I believe that agencies don’t just need to create, they also need to invent. Why can’t we invent a whole new medium while we thinking of a campaign that runs on it? The future will be invented by those who ask the most interesting and unexpected questions.

     

    Photograph of JWT Mumbai courtesy JWT website. Images of Messrs Harris and Pawar from the JWT and Mudra sites respectively