Hires & Promotions: BARC, Builder.ai, DDB Mudra, Havas India, Dentsu Creative India

Former Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati joins BARC board

Former Prasar Bharati CEO, Shashi Shekhar Vempati, has joined the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) board as a professional director. Currently, he is the Co-founder of DeepTech for Bharat Foundation. He is also a Member of Society of Indian Institute of Mass Communication and Chairperson of the Science & Technology Communication Apex Advisory Committee.

On this, BARC Chairman, and CEO – India, IPG Mediabrands, Shashi Sinha said, "We are very happy as he has full knowledge and will add value."

Vocal about his views on AI, Vempati recently emphasised the critical significance of data privacy and ethical considerations in the face of the increasing influence of AI and deepfake technology, at an event. "The future of marketing lies in embracing AI and automation while upholding the values of data privacy and ethical practices," he said then.

In the past, Vempati, an IIT Bombay alumnus, has worked as a Product Strategist and Digital Innovator at Infosys for more than 16 years. In 2013, he shifted gears and joined a news media platform, NitiCentral.com, as the CEO.

During the 2020 alleged TRP scam, the Information and Broadcasting Committee constituted a four-member team, which was headed by Vempati to review the guidelines on television rating agencies.

Builder.ai appoints Craig Saunders as Vice President of Artificial Intelligence

Builder.ai, has appointed Craig Saunders as Vice President of Artificial Intelligence. Saunders, a powerhouse in the AI industry, joins Builder.ai from Amazon, where he spent seven years within the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) organisation.

During his tenure at Amazon, Saunders made a significant impact by pioneering technologies for Alexa. He led research and engineering teams building foundational Knowledge Graphs for General Q&A on Alexa, established partnerships with leading universities, and his teams launched challenges within the academic community such as FEVER (Fact Extraction and Verification) to move forward on the factual accuracy of knowledge graphs. His leadership extended to Natural Language Understanding, including the use of seq2seq models in Alexa, and formed the team that federated across multiple Alexa Q&A systems. In 2022, Craig led teams that were building the next generation of textual Large Language Models for Amazon, and advanced personalisation for Alexa.

“Craig’s remarkable achievements in AI - and his visionary approach multi-disciplinary multi modal AI will enable us to propel Natasha and our AI capabilities to newer frontiers and allow us to drive an even richer customer experience,” says Sachin Dev Duggal, Founder & Chief Wizard, Builder.ai. “His expertise is not just in technology, but in fostering scaled innovation that resonates with customers on a global scale. I’m thrilled to have Craig join the team and excited to see what he and the team add to the Platform and Natasha’s capabilities.”

In his new role, Saunders will lead the AI teams at Builder.ai, focusing on scaling and expanding the company's existing AI capabilities, including Natasha, the world’s first AI product manager, and its new Code Generation System, which automates the transition from a user conversation directly to working code. His expertise will be instrumental in propelling Builder.ai to deliver even more for their customers through tailored software solutions with unprecedented efficiency.

“Joining Builder.ai feels like a natural progression in my career, allowing me to further push the boundaries of AI and machine learning solutions,” adds Saunders. “I’m excited to be a part of the development of cutting-edge AI solutions that will not only transform the way software is created but also empower our customers to achieve their ambitious business goals.”

Craig received a PhD in Machine Learning from the University of London in 2000 and continued in the education sector, working nine years as an academic faculty at Royal Holloway, University of London and the University of Southampton. 

DDB Mudra Group boosts strategic leadership, appoints Shashank Lanjekar as National Strategy Head

DDB Mudra Group has welcomed Shashank Lanjekar as the National Strategy Head. Lanjekar brings over 25 years of experience in advertising, brand management, and strategic planning to the role and will work out of the Group’s Mumbai office.

Lanjekar will work in close collaboration with leadership teams across the business to further upgrade the product, create value and drive long-term growth for brands. He will closely work with Rahul Mathew, CCO of the Group, to focus on advancing the agency's strategic offerings across disciplines to further solidify it with strong creative fundamentals. His strategic acumen is set to fuel DDB’s expansion with the agency’s growing roster of clients.

A seasoned strategist, Lanjekar has worked with some of India's most iconic brands across diverse industries. Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in developing and executing impactful campaigns that have driven business growth. Before joining DDB Mudra Group, Lanjekar served as Chief Strategy Officer at VML India, where he spearheaded strategy for key accounts like IDFC First Bank, Titan Skinn, Hindustan Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser. He previously held the same position at Dentsu, where he led planning for marquee brands such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Nykaa, Uber, and Star Sports.

His previous assignments include strategy and account management roles at Soho Square (now 82.5 Communications) within the Ogilvy India group and McCann Erickson.

Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group shares, “We believe in strategy that has the power to move the work and the consumer. Not a strategy that merely sits pretty on PowerPoint slides. Shashank embodies the same belief. He will also help us strengthen many of the rigours needed to have a strong strategic backbone. Really excited to work with him again.”

Lanjekar adds, “The hunger of this team to keep pushing for better work year after year is what stood out for me to begin with. Add to that the width of the clientele and the depth of talent across the group, and you have the textbook definition of 'opportunity'. 

What’s more, I have known Rahul since 2005 and am glad to see the hungry, front-foot player in him intact. I am itching to partner him at the other end of the crease.”

Havas India appoints John Thangaraj as Chief Strategy Officer of Havas Creative Network India

Havas India has appointed John Thangaraj as the Chief Strategy Officer of Havas Creative Network India and his remit will include Havas Worldwide India (creative), Havas CX India (customer experience), Conran Design Mumbai (brand design), Ekino (technology), and Havas People India (employer branding). John will be responsible for driving the strategic mandate of the creative network and will also work closely with Havas Village India leaders to drive integration.

He will be based out of Gurugram and report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas India, South East Asia and North Asia (Japan & South Korea).

Speaking about the appointment, Barua comments, “Havas Creative Network India has gained tremendous scale and size over the last six years. One of the agencies which has seen unprecedented growth, new leaders, and tremendous business traction is Havas Worldwide India and therefore John will work closely with Anupama Ramaswamy and Kundan Joshee to further drive the growth of the agency. In addition, he will also work closely with Geet Nazir (Conran Design Mumbai), Prashant Tekwani (Havas CX India) and Arindam Sengupta (Havas People India) to further strengthen the strategic vision. He will further consolidate our client relationships and drive thought leadership to ensure meaningful business growth and establish Havas Creative Network India as the most future-forward and progressive creative network conglomerate. I wish him all the best.”

John Thangaraj comments, “I couldn't be more excited to be embarking on this journey with Rana and the rest of the Havas India team. As the saying goes, it takes a village. And the Havas Village remains one of the most deeply and seamlessly integrated creative networks in the world. The opportunities to create meaningful client value across the entire chain are quite literally, limitless, and I can't wait to get started.”

Thangaraj comes armed with 22 years of experience as a multi-functional marketing communications strategist across consumer research, marketing, advertising and media. With a postgraduate degree in marketing, advertising, and communication, he began his career in PR in 2002. In 2007, he joined Adidas, managing the launch and promotion of the adidas Originals brand in India. In 2008, he transitioned to advertising with Rediffusion Y&R as Head of Strategic Planning, handling brands like Bacardi, Danone, and Tata Steel. At MullenLowe Lintas Group from 2010, he worked with brands including Hindustan Times, Nestle, and HCL Technologies. In 2013, he led strategic initiatives at Mindshare for clients such as Pepsico, Lufthansa, and GlaxoSmithKline. Most recently, at FCB Group India, he worked with major brands like Google, Uber, Bata, Pernod Ricard and Vistara.

Dentsu Creative India promotes Surjo Dutt to CCO at Dentsu Creative Webchutney

Dentsu Creative India has promoted Surjo Dutt to the position of Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Dentsu Creative Webchutney.

In his new role, Dutt will spearhead the creative vision of the agency, ensuring the delivery of innovative and integrated solutions that foster business growth for clients. Additionally, he will mentor and guide the creative teams.

Dutt will continue to report to Amit Wadhwa, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dentsu Creative India.

“We have reimagined our creative business to align with the evolving needs of our clients. Dentsu Creative India now encompasses three portfolio brands: Dentsu Creative Webchutney, Dentsu Creative Isobar, and Dentsu Creative PR. Dentsu Creative Webchutney delivers creative solutions across both traditional and digital media. Meanwhile, Dentsu Creative Isobar focuses on enhancing digital experiences, and Dentsu Creative PR handles public relations. The common thread that binds them is the ‘X factor’ - the extra edge, value, and impact that Dentsu Creative brings to its solutions. This is what makes us the preferred partner for our clients in an ever-evolving and competitive market,” Wadhwa says.

“Surjo is a rare talent, seamlessly blending creative excellence with visionary thinking and business acumen. He has played a pivotal role in transforming Dentsu Creative India into a powerhouse of creativity and innovation. His innovative mindset and transformative approach make him an invaluable partner in our pursuit of excellence. I eagerly anticipate the continued success and growth that Surjo will undoubtedly bring to our creative network,” he adds.

Dutt joined Dentsu Creative India as the CCO for the West & South regions in September 2023. With 25 years of experience in the industry, he has worked on over 400 campaigns across 70+ brands and 20+ categories, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished and prolific creative leaders.

Dutt mentions, “The kind of openness, optimism, and kindness with which I have been welcomed into the fold by the Dentsu Creative Webchutney family has been truly humbling. With over 70 brands across every category conceivable and more than 200 creative people across multiple geographies, Dentsu Creative Webchutney is a powerhouse of creativity and human potential that I am privileged to be a part of. The last 8 months have seen a bunch of new business wins and lots of exciting work in the creative blender, waiting to go out and make waves in the world. I am excited to do my bit in my new role, as we create epic, market-moving work for all our clients.”