Marzban Patel becomes new CEO and MD of Publicitas Asia

Thirty-two-year media industry veteran Marzban Patel, currently chief executive officer of Publicitas Mediascope India, now has the dual role of chief executive officer of the 130-strong century-old Swiss-based media marketing corporation, Publicitas Asia. Marzban Patel has replaced the previous chief executive officer for Asia Pacific Charlton D’Silva, who is now the managing director of Mass Media Publicitas in Australia.

Publicitas Asia represents media sales over hundreds of international media titles including Fairfax in Australia, Times of India in India, Nikkei in Japan, Elle International, SilverKris (inflight magazine of Singapore Airlines), Bangkok Post in Thailand and Metro International.

Under his  leadership, Patel said they are in the process of growing their market presence with existing partners in booming markets in the region, especially in Indonesia, Taiwan, Korea and the Philippines.

He added he will cross fertlise successful ideas in different markets, and bring an additional focus on digital offerings to advertisers.

Patel founded  Mediascope in 1979 in Bombay,  growing the business into India’s leading international media representation company with exclusive representation of more than 300 international properties titles across print, television, online and outdoor, servicing leading Indian and multinational corporations including - Citibank, British Airways, Kuoni, Air India, Taj Hotels, IBEF and DLF.

In 2000, Marzban led Mediascope into a equity tie-up with the Switzerland based Publigroupe, the world’s largest media marketing corporation, thus leading to the formation of Mediascope Publicitas.

In 2007, Mediascope Publicitas launched India’s first and only company dedicated to online and mobile marketing – Publicitas Digital.

Although trained in hotel management, Patel said media publishing is in his family DNA, as his father, Burjor Patel, was a past president of the Advertising Club of India and a board member of the International Advertising Association, Dubai, UAE.

(The article first appeared on Campaign Asia-Pacific)