Hires & Promotions: MediaCom, MullenLowe, WarnerMedia
MediaCom Appoints Shekhar Sharma As Managing Partner and Averill Sequeira As Chief Product Officer
MediaCom has made two senior-level appointments, elevating the talent, and moving towards strengthening its core leadership team. Shekhar Sharma will take the role of Managing Partner (North & East), while Averill Sequeria will be joining as the Chief Product Officer.
“The media landscape is accelerating and ever-evolving. We want to continue to build on our strong track record of helping brands build campaigns that deliver results. Today, brands want to communicate quickly and effectively, and we believe that together with our new appointments, we will be able to deliver more powerful work for our clients. With having Shekhar and Averill as a part of our team, I am convinced that they’re uniquely positioned to successfully drive the company and are here to put their best foot forward towards offering the best solution to our clients and strengthening our portfolio,” said Navin Khemka, Chief Executive Officer, MediaCom South Asia.
Shekhar in his new role he will be responsible for the offices, clients, and growth. He has been an accomplished Integrated marketing professional with experience in managing large media investments from global clients to large Indian conglomerates across different verticals. With over 25 years of diversified experience in Media and Marketing, Shekhar’s expertise ranges from crafting a media strategy, bringing in an insights-based approach to sharpen the strategic planning and deliver ROI for clients. In his previous stint as a Vice President for Platform Services in GroupM, he has been instrumental in spearheading a digital-first approach for brands varying from global to large Indian conglomerates and mid-sized businesses.
Whereas, Averill Sequeira will be leading ‘Seeing the Bigger Picture’, a MediaCom Creative Systems wherein they use the power of data to bring together media and creativity. Having successfully soft-launched in the US and Australia, its Creative Systems is now ready to roll out to the rest of the world. A GroupM alumni, with 18+ years in media, communications & consulting; she is an original thinker, working to bridge the worlds of data, digital media, strategy, and creativity. Her formative years were spent in developing audience insight tools & specializing in Marketing ROI/econometric modelling. In this decade of digital transformation, she has passionately championed the customer experience journey, with creative solutions using data and technology.
MullenLowe Group Elevates S. Subramanyeswar As CSO, Asia-Pacific
MullenLowe Group has elevated Subbu to Chief Strategy Officer for the Asia-Pacific region. He will continue to lead strategy for brands at MullenLowe Lintas Group as its Group Chief Strategy Officer.
Since joining Lowe Lintas in 2011 as National Planning Director, Subbu has led major strategic thoughts or shifts for multiple brands across the clients that the group works on in India. Most notable is his thought-leading and breakthrough ‘Brands to Stands’ philosophy, methodology and frameworks that have been adopted by many of the brands that the agency steers in India. Subbu was awarded ‘South Asia Planner of the Year’ by world-renowned Campaign magazine twice. He has played a champion role in MullenLowe Lintas Group, India becoming the most Effective Agency in the world twice.
Speaking about his elevation, James Fox – Global Chief Strategy Officer, MullenLowe Group said, Subbu’s promotion is much deserved as he is one of the finest marketing minds in the region. He is a true leader for his team and his clients, helping them achieve new heights professionally and commercially. I am very proud to have Subbu as part of the global planning council, leading MullenLowe Group’s strategic charge across Asia-Pacific countries.”
“In the ten years that he’s been at MullenLowe Lintas Group, Subbu has played a huge role in not just improving and innovating the planning product, but forging strong partnerships with colleagues at the agency, clients and academia. Not to forget his big role in putting us on the global map of effectiveness! Having worked very closely with him over the last 10 years, I have to say that he is clearly one of the top brand strategists in the world. I am extremely happy that Subbu will take his amazing brand of strategic planning beyond South Asia and into all of Asia-Pacific,” added Virat Tandon – Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group, India.
Excited about his new role within MullenLowe Group, Subbu said, “I’m honoured, humbled and fired up. It’s a huge opportunity and that’s very exciting. At the same time, I’m also grounded on the challenges that lie ahead. And it is that trip and the constraint that also brings out the passion and fierce obsession in me, to do great culture-leading work. I’ll take the rich learning that I had in my ten years at MullenLowe Lintas Group - India, an ecosystem or the fulcrum of marketing, forward.”
Subbu has spent two decades plus in advertising and marketing, having worked at Wipro, Publics, Rediffusion Y&R, and Saatchi & Saatchi in the markets of India, US and UK. He has authored and won 131 awards at India Effies, APAC Effies, Global Effies, Asian Marketing Effectiveness, WARC and the globally distinguished Jay Chiat by 4A’s. He has also been on the jury of Jay Chiat, APAC Effies, AME, WARC, and India Effies.
A regular columnist and passionate academic, he is also a visiting faculty at top business schools IIM Ahmedabad and IIM Bangalore in India and the renowned Kellogg School of Management, Illinois and MIT Sloan, Boston in US. He addressed quite a few business and marketing global forums including SXSW in Austin, Texas.
Subbu will be based in Mumbai, India, as he takes up the Asia-Pacific charge with immediate effect.
WarnerMedia Names Deepa Sridhar As Director Of Marketing
Deepa Sridhar will now take up the role of director of marketing for South Asia at WarnerMedia. Sridhar will be reporting to her regional marketing lead based in Singapore.
Sridhar has over 20 years experience in public relations and corporate communications and her strength lies in media strategy and brand reputation, crisis communications and offering brand solutions. She has worked on brands across a diverse set of industries, including aviation, hospitality and entertainment media.
WarnerMedia also announced Aastha Bansal as lead-corporate communications, South Asia.
According to media reports, WarnerMedia stated, “The changes in roles and expanded responsibilities for both Deepa Sridhar and Aastha Bansal reflects the deep bench of talent we have within the organization. Both Deepa and Aastha will be reporting to their respective Marketing and Communications regional leads based in Singapore.”
