Cheil appoints Neeraj Bassi chief strategy officer

 

Cheil India announced the appointment of Neeraj Bassi as chief strategy officer, responsible for planning and strategy across business divisions.

 

Bassi was running his own consulting firm prior. In a career spanning 19 years, he has also worked with Ogilvy, J. Walter Thompson and McCann Erickson.

 

At Cheil, he moves into the position occupied by Sonal Narain, who had taken over the strategy function in June 2015.

 

Shiv Sethuraman, group president, Cheil South-West Asia, said, “We are going for a massive acceleration in our capabilities in 2016 and I am delighted to have Neeraj on board at this critical juncture in our evolution. His passion for integrated communication combined with his gravitas and deep knowledge of brands and consumers in the Indian context have impressed us. We look forward to some great work together. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Sonal Narain for her contribution over the past year.”

 

Bassi added, “Today, we need a completely new approach to communication. You need to think like an entrepreneur and keep on redefining the communication paradigm. Cheil’s transformation journey in the short span of 14 to 15 months is testimony to the intent and momentum of the company. When John (Koo, president and regional head, SW Asia) and Shiv told me about the specific focus on promoting entrepreneurship and driving integration at Cheil, it was an instant meeting of minds. With good understanding of what it takes to be successful in the age of networking, I am looking forward to bring these learnings to clients of Cheil, especially Samsung.”

 

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Cheil India ropes in Sonal Narain as chief strategy officer