Hires & Promotions: Cheil India, Garage Worldwide, Swiggy Dineout

Cheil India appoints Sudhir Das as senior executive creative director

Cheil India has appointed Sudhir Das as the senior executive creative director. He will be responsible for overseeing the creative output of a segment of Samsung mobile business and Samsung exclusive stores.

In his new role, Das will be reporting to Vikash Chemjong, CCO, Cheil India and will be based out of the agency’s Gurgaon office.

Das has been in advertising for two-plus decades, in agencies like Publicis, McCann, Leo Burnett and Dentsu WebChutney, winning around 100 national and international awards along the way. His previous role was group executive creative director, Dentsu Creative.

Das has created advertising for some of India and the world’s most popular brands including Coca-Cola, Nestle, Apple, Google, Airtel, LinkedIn, Tanishq, ITC and Uber.

Vikash Chemjong, CCO, Cheil India says, “Sudhir when you meet him, seems alike a misfit in advertising. He doesn’t drink! Is not trying to run off to the hills/beach every chance he gets because he hates travelling! And he is a little anti-social, preferring the company of his cats more than the company of most people [but seeing the type of people surrounding us most days, I have begun to see the wisdom in it!. But dig a little deeper and one begins to see the many reasons for the multi-award winning adman that he is. He is a gamer. A lover of all things tech. A self-professed nerd. An encyclopedia of advertising trivia. Plus a great cook! Not just in what he whips up in the kitchen but what he manages to concoct every time you sit down with him, for work or otherwise. Be it stories. Strategies. Interesting theories. And of course, great advertising ideas! We’re lucky to have him join the Cheil fold. All set to mesmerize us and our clients with his unique and interesting way of telling the brand story."

Commenting about his appointment, Das adds, “This is actually my second stint at Cheil. And it took literally a 15-minute conversation with Vikash to decide that I wanted to be back here. What really attracted me was the hunger to really explore the bleeding edge of creativity, and perhaps more importantly, this hunger was married to a scale and depth of integrated talent that actually manages to get things done. I have a feeling I’m really going to enjoy my time here.”

Sanjeev Jasani, Group COO, Cheil SWA shares, “I am happy to welcome Sudhir to Cheil India. He has a much-deserved reputation for being a creative maestro with a penchant for everything that is tech. His repertoire of work is amazing and eclectic in equal measure. I look forward to the unique perspective and ideas that Sudhir brings to the table, which will positively inform our campaigns."

Garage Worldwide appoints Raj Nair as chief creative officer

Garage Worldwide has named Raj Nair as its chief creative officer. Nair joins Garage Worldwide with the intent of making the agency even more renowned for its creative prowess.

With over 30 years of experience in the advertising industry, Nair’s role will involve steering the creative and strategic direction of the agency.

Nair transitions to Garage Worldwide from Madison BMB, where he served as chief executive officer and chief creative officer.

His career includes stints at renowned agencies such as HTA, Enterprise, Contract, and Madison, where he has worked on a wide array of brands including Cadbury, Shoppers Stop, Asian Paints, HSBC, Jockey, and Bajaj Auto, among others.

Sanjay Deshmukh, CEO, Garage Worldwide expresses, “Raj Nair coming on board has given us a tremendous advantage in strategic thinking and creative leadership. The sheer experience of handling diverse categories is already benefiting our young strategy and creative team to put out really fabulous work.”

Nair mentions, "I've known Raj Kamble, founder and CCO, Famous Innovations, for years. Two things stand out when you meet him: his passion for advertising, surpassing even our country's love for cricket, and his relentless ambition to build Famous Innovations and Garage Worldwide into unstoppable forces. Famous Innovations is already well-known, and after talking with Raj, I wanted to help create the same buzz for Garage Worldwide, their digital agency. The energy of true independence is palpable at both Famous and Garage. My approach has been simple: ideate, create, innovate, and grow, with agility and humility, while constantly questioning, understanding, and acting on behalf of clients, brands, and consumers. Having worked at agencies like Enterprise, Contract, and Madison, I understand the entrepreneurial spirit that demands accountability from the leadership team." 

He adds, "At Garage, we already have great brands and we’ve hit the ground running with new businesses in interesting categories. Sanjay (Deshmukh), the team, and I bring media-agnostic, hybrid, and diverse capabilities to our approach. We ensure that our creative solutions are effective for our brands and build trust with our clients. Recently, Garage Worldwide partnered with Miami Ad School to host a Portfolio Evening, where industry leaders reviewed young talents' work. In short, Garage is revved up and ready to go. Come along for the ride."

Dhruvish Thakkar is Swiggy Dineout's AVP for revenue and growth

Swiggy has roped in Dhruvish Thakkar as assistant vice president (AVP) for revenue and growth at Swiggy Dineout. Previously, he worked as the senior director, head of marketing and revenue at Flipkart Epharma.

With experience in consumer engagement and strategic business growth, he has successfully driven growth projects in his previous stints. His expertise lies in fashion, beauty, social commerce, gaming, and healthcare.

In the past, Thakkar has also worked with Myntra and Whirlpool Corporation.