Publicis Media aligns with global structure; Malli to head Starcom, Mohanty takes over Zenith

 

Publicis Media India revealed on 30 June 2016 its new leadership and structure in India, in line with global changes. 

 

Following the new structure, the group will have four agency brands, as announced earlier: Starcom, Zenith, Mediavest Spark and Optimedia Blue 449.

 

This implies that the agency brands Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia which operated in India will no longer be in use.

 

Performics remains the group’s global performance marketing brand, operating within the agency brands.

 

Leadership changes

 

Hanley King, who joined as chairman of Starcom MediaVest Group India in 2014, has moved on to a global role within Publicis Media, informed an official statement.

 

Taking over from King will be Mallikarjun Das (Malli) who has been appointed group CEO of Starcom India, elevated from the position of CEO, at erstwhile SMG India.

 

Tanmay Mohanty, who headed Performics India as MD since 2014, has been appointed as Group CEO of Zenith India. 

 

ZenithOptimedia MD Hari Krishnan has exited the agency. A senior level appointment under Mohanty is to be announced ‘in due course’.

 

Dnyanada Chaudhari, who joined ZenithOptimedia as managing partner and head of trading in mid-2014, will lead Publicis Media Exchange. 

 

In April this year, Publicis Media had named then ZenithOptimedia Group CEO Anupriya Acharya as its CEO for India.

 

On the current changes, Acharya said, “One of the greatest strengths of our new organisation in India is its team of leaders, all of which have proven track record within our system. They have been integral in accomplishing what we have in the last two to three years and now committed to setting strategy and charting the course for the new organisation."

 

She added, "The new structure that follows the framework of the global vision is fully equipped to fit the future and best serve our clients. It is a fresh opportunity to simplify our organisation, invent more modern approaches to gain effectiveness and efficiency, introduce structures for greater collaboration, and drive new levels of client value and delight.”

 

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ZenithOptimedia India ropes in Anupriya Acharya as group CEO