By Our Staff
The all-new combo of Wunderman Thompsaon and VMLY&R – VML – has finally announced its India leadership. It may be recealled that the brand, customer experience and commerce company had announced the leadership for the rest of the region, save India.
So Babita Baruah will join as Chief Executive Officer of India from March 1, 2024, and will partner with Saurabh Saksena, who has been elevated into the role of President.
Baruah joins VML India from a dual role working across WPP’s Ford International Market Group as Regional Client Lead and Executive Director at VMLY&R Thailand. She is an old JWT/Wunderman Thompson India hand, where she spent two decades working with global and local brands such as PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Godrej, Kotak Mahindra, Reliance, and Aditya Birla. In 2017, Baruah joined the GTB business in India as Managing Partner and moved to Bangkok in 2021 in a dual capacity role as WPP Lead for the Ford business across India, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Middle East, and South Africa, and Executive Director, VMLY&R Thailand.
As mentioned, Saksena has been elevated into the role of President of VML’s India operations and will partner with Baruah on the leadership of the agency. Over the past 30 years, adds a communiuqe, Saksena has delivered business growth, managed change and transition, and built deep internal capabilities across the five agencies including a decade at Wunderman Thompson and most recently VMLY&R. Over the years, he has worked with ambitious brands in diverse categories such as, CPG, retail, finance, technology, automotive, e-commerce and QSRs.
Regarding the new role, Baruah said: “It’s an honour to lead a market like India for VML. I look forward to working closely with Audrey, Yi-Chung, Saurabh, and the whole team in India to make sure that we connect creativity, experience, data and technology, to be the preferred destination for India’s ambitious brands and talented individuals.”
Said Saksena: “I’m very excited to continue this journey of building a strong and successful VML with Babita by orchestrating innovative growth solutions for our clients that sit at the intersection of creativity, experience, data and technology.”
Added Audrey Kuah, Co-CEO of VML APAC: “Babita is no stranger to India, and we welcome her home as the new VML India CEO. With her vast experience in delivering innovation and growth for clients and a passion for building a high empathy and performance culture, I look forward to working with Babita to take our India business, already one of the strongest in the region, to new heights in 2024.”
Said Yi-Chung Tay, Co-CEO of VML APAC: “Saurabh and Babita will be a driving force for growth in India. I’ve watched Babita grow the Ford and VMLY&R Thailand businesses over the years and I’m confident that she will do the same for our clients in India. Saurabh’s elevation is founded on his record of successfully integrating VMLY&R India’s offices, building culture and increasing profitability. I can’t think of a better duo to lead India, which is a key market for VML in APAC.”