VJ Anand, executive creative director for VaynerMedia EMEA, has announced his departure after a fruitful five-year stint with the agency. Anand, who joined VaynerMedia in 2019 as head of creative for APAC, played a pivotal role in building and scaling the agency’s presence in the region alongside Avery Akkineni, now CMO of VaynerX.
During his time in APAC, Anand worked on global social media campaigns for prominent brands, including SK-II, Subway, and Prudential Singapore. He advanced to managing partner of VaynerMedia APAC from 2021 to 2022 before relocating to London to assume the role of executive creative director for EMEA and global creative operations.
As EMEA’s executive creative director, Anand led teams in marketing, social, and advertising initiatives tailored for new audiences across Europe and beyond. He also collaborated with content creators to produce impactful campaigns for global brands. Among his career highlights at VaynerMedia were directing a music video with John Legend for SK-II, partnering with Charli XCX for Revolut, and overseeing a seven-market Olympics campaign for Visa.
Prior to VaynerMedia, Anand held senior roles in creative leadership across Asia. He served as senior vice president of creative, content, and social at Gojek in Indonesia, where he headed Creative Labs, the startup’s branding and social division. Anand also held executive creative director roles at BBDO Worldwide and TBWA\Worldwide and gained experience with leading agencies like Cheil Worldwide, Ogilvy Malaysia, and Havas Riverorchid.
In a LinkedIn post, Anand reflected on his journey, expressing gratitude for the opportunities and experiences gained during his tenure at VaynerMedia. “Just like that, it’s the end of my time at Vayner. From being the fourth hire in APAC, writing and designing my own decks, to working with Charli XCX and shooting a music video with John Legend—what a mad journey,” he wrote.
While Anand has yet to reveal his next steps, he mentioned taking time off to focus on family and possibly crowdsourcing his next projects or job. “Every good thing must come to an end. I still haven’t really figured out what’s next for me, but… why the hell not?” he concluded.
