Mumbai: Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) India has got a chief executive after more than six years.
Kunal Jeswani, chief digital officer of O&M, has just been named CEO as a part of a major top management restructuring at the agency. The previous CEO, Pratap Bose, had quit in 2008.
It has promoted Hufrish Birdy, executive finance director, as chief finance officer. Hephzibah Pathak, president, O&M, will assume the new role of global clients’ director, while Kawal Shoor, head of planning, will become national planning director.
“It is time that our very strong senior team joins us in all key management decisions of Ogilvy & Mather. Our clients should look forward to even greater impact from Ogilvy &Mather in the days ahead,” said Piyush Pandey, O&M’s executive chairman and creative director for South Asia.
A post-graduate in communications from MICA, Jeswani started his career with Enterprise Nexus in 1996. In 2003, he joined The Republic as MD. He quit that job in 2005 and joined O&M as senior VP, client servicing.
The agency has made a proposal to expand its board of directors. The existing India board includes Pandey; Pathak; SN Rane, executive cochairman and group chief operating officer – South Asia; Madhukar Sabnavis, country head — planning and discovery; Poran Malani, president, O&M WW. It also includes the agency’s global heads like Miles Young, worldwide chairman and CEO of O&M Hong Kong; and John Goodman, president, Ogilvy Noor.
The India board has nominated Jeswani; Rajiv Rao, national creative director; Navin Talreja, president — Mumbai & Kolkata geography head as well as Birdy as additional directors.Their induction will be effective as soon as the legal compliances are completed.
