MullenLowe Group announced Subbu’s elevation as 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.” said Virat Tandon – Group CEO, MullenLowe Lintas Group, India.
Excited about his new role within MullenLowe Group, Subbu said, “I’m honored, 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, the US, and the 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 the 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.
