Hires & Promotions: WPP, Levi Strauss, ITC, Dentsu, Media Mantra

Quick look at new hirings, promotions and people movements this week

WPP appoints Michael Houston as President of its US business

WPP has named Michael Houston, Global CEO of Grey as President of its business in the United States.

In this new role, which aligns with WPP’s country leadership structure in other major markets, Michael will represent the company in its largest market worldwide. WPP employs approximately 20,000 people in the US, where it has annual revenues of around $6 billion.

Michael will be responsible for promoting WPP’s offer and collective capabilities, supporting agency CEOs, and bringing together people and resources for clients. He will shape the company’s US campus strategy and play a key role in talent attraction and retention with a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion.

He will assist AKQA Group CEO, Ajaz Ahmed, with the transition to new leadership at Grey and will continue as a member of the WPP Executive Committee. As part of his new role, Michael will also serve as WPP’s Executive Sponsor for P&G.

Michael joined Grey in 2007. He was named Managing Director of Grey New York in 2011, CEO for North America in 2013 and Global CEO in 2017. In addition to Grey, Michael has held senior leadership positions at KB+P, Landor and Y&R, as well as founding a brand consultancy in the 1990s. He has worked across multiple functions of the marketing services business, including accounts, strategy, business development and corporate communications.

He sits on the board of Concern Worldwide, a global humanitarian group dedicated to tackling poverty and suffering in the world’s poorest countries. He also serves on the boards of the Institute of International Education, Effie Worldwide and the AdCouncil.

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said “The United States is our largest market and home to many of our most important clients. Michael is admired and respected across the industry and has made an exceptional contribution during his 15 years at Grey. I am delighted that he is taking on this important new role for WPP, supporting our people and agencies and bringing the best of WPP to our clients.”

Ajaz Ahmed, CEO of AKQA Group, said, “With our positive growth trajectory and momentum, we look forward to the continuing partnership with Michael to inspire and enable our people to thrive, unlocking unrivalled expertise that will fuel innovation on behalf of the clients and audiences we serve.”

Commenting on the new role, Houston said, “I am honored to become the first President of WPP in the US, eager to work across the company, having spent so much of my career at our agencies, and humbled to partner with the most creative minds in the industry. We have a unique opportunity to deliver transformational results for our clients and drive growth through greater collaboration across our powerhouse agencies. Together, we can unleash our unrivalled capabilities and diverse talent in every discipline to usher in a bright future for our clients, people and communities.”


Levi Strauss & Co. appoints Amisha Jain to lead South Asia-Middle East and Africa

Levi Strauss & Co. has appointed Amisha Jain as the company’s new senior vice president and managing director of South Asia-Middle East and Africa (SAMEA). 

She will be responsible for leading the company’s operations in SAMEA and ensuring that the geography continues to drive expansion and growth, contributing to the company’s success in Asia and around the globe. 

Jain brings more than 20 years of experience across multiple industries including physical and digital retail, consumer goods and technology and a strong track record of leading profitable, sustainable growth and transformation initiatives in both multi national and domestic companies in India to the company. 

Most recently, Jain was the chief executive officer at Zivame. During her tenure there, she scaled the business nine times in three years before the business was acquired by Reliance Group in 2020. 

Amisha has an MBA from INSEAD and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. She started her career as an engineer with Motorola Inc. and has held roles across multiple functions including sales, operations and strategy at organizations like McKinsey & Company, Nike and Arvind Group.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a dynamic, proven leader to the company,” said Seth Ellison, executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Levi Strauss & Co. “Amisha’s years leading digital and physical retail businesses, her track record of delivering results while connecting with consumers and her passion for innovation is a combination that will set our SAMEA cluster up for accelerated growth,” he added.

“I am excited to join LS&Co. and the Levi’s® a brand—one that I have always admired as a consumer and a business leader. The team has had an incredible journey thus far, and I am delighted to be part of this passionate and high-performing group. Together we will strive to take the brand to even greater heights in the region,” said  Amisha Jain, senior vice president and managing director of South Asia-Middle East and Africa (SAMEA), Levi Strauss & Co

Jain fills this role following the transition of Sanjeev Mohanty in late 2021. Mohanty, the company’s previous senior vice president and managing director of SAMEA, is currently Levi Strauss & Co.’s senior vice president and managing director of the U.S. and Canada. 


Rajnish Kumar moves on from ITC 

Rajnish Kumar, Head Digital & Direct to Consumer, ITC, has decided to move on.

Kumar had a five-year stint with the company. He joined the company as Head of Program Data and Digital Strategy.

Sharing the news on his LinkedIn profile, Kumar wrote: “I have decided to move forward into growth to spend most of my time building Trendware Solutions Private Limited ( SimplexMLM ) - a product company which helps in digital transformation of Fashion Organisations.”

“Apart from this, I will be nurturing Rumi - a fine dine restaurant for Awadhi cuisine in Bangalore. It had always been a dream to bring a part of Lucknow to Bangalore and Rumi is doing just that! “I will also be advising Team Pumpkin on "Strategy" to help them build a world-class enterprise that's ready for the future.”

“Lastly, I will continue to write. My second book "Notes from an Open Window" is under publication and will be out sometime this year,” he wrote.

Kumar has worked with ITC Infotech and Wal-Mart prior to this.


Dentsu Creative group India appoints Anu Gulati as Executive Creative Director

Dentsu Creative group India has announced the appointment of Anu Gulati as Executive Creative Director.

In her new role, Anu will work with the group’s key talents to further drive and strengthen the network’s creative capabilities, thereby enhancing the client’s market growth. She will be based out of the network’s Delhi office and will report to Ajay Gahlaut, Group Chief Creative Officer, dentsu Creative group India.

Anu brings with her over 15 years of experience in the industry. Prior to this, she has held creative leadership positions at agencies like Ogilvy & Mather and DDB Mudra. In her previous roles, she has worked with brands like 7Up, McDonald's, Sprite, KFC, Pizza Hut, Indian Tourism, UNICEF and WWF, to name a few. Additionally, she has also been pursuing her love for writing as a scriptwriter. Anu has been a part of several award-winning campaigns that have bagged multiple national and international wins at the much-coveted Cannes, Kyoorius, One Show, Abbys, and D&AD. In addition to this, she has been voted amongst the ‘Top Creatives’ by ET Brand Equity and IMPACT. Apart from her career in advertising, Anu is also a trained classical singer.

Speaking on the appointment, Ajay Gahlaut said, “Anu Gulati is a rare creative person with an uncanny talent for creating interesting and engaging advertising that is also very effective in the marketplace. Exceptional talent, the mental stamina for extremely hard work and an obsessive desire to create a stellar piece of work on every brief, make Anu a valued member of any creative team. We are thrilled to welcome Anu on board, and look forward to seeing her weave her particular brand of magic into our brands.”

Anu Gulati added, “Unlike the usual setups, dentsu provides a unique and integrated environment. With the kind of talent and intent this place is brimming with, I am confident that these teams can do wonders not just for the network but for the advertising industry at large.”

 

Media Mantra Appoints Rahul Mehta as Chief Executive Officer

Media Mantra has named Rahul Mehta as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its operations in India. Tasked with the responsibility of driving strategic business growth, Mehta will focus on consolidating and expanding the business across existing and new practice areas, launching new services and providing strategic senior counsel to clients. He will work directly with Udit Pathak, Founder Director, Media Mantra.

With over 22 years of agency and corporate experience, Mehta has served in senior leadership roles for over 15 years including as COO with Kaizzen, Sr. VP & General Manager with FleishmanHillard and Branch Head with Weber Shandwick. During his tenure, he contributed to strong business growth, winning mandates from reputed Indian and international firms. He is also a past winner of the Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific Leadership Award.

"Media Mantra is currently undergoing a very exciting phase of growth. This year, one of the key focus areas for us was to strengthen our leadership team by adding well-respected professionals like Rahul, who is a proven communications expert with strong expertise in executing innovative and integrated client campaigns. His vast experience and immense knowledge make him a perfect fit for overseeing our India operations as part of the growing leadership team. He will provide strategic insights and drive impact and outcomes for our growing list of clients. While working closely with me, he will play a vital role in accelerating the collective growth of the organisation. As we inch closer to our 10th anniversary this August, Rahul's appointment is just the beginning of bigger and better things to come in future for the MM family," Udit Pathak, Founding Director of Media Mantra said.

"I am excited to join Media Mantra at this exciting juncture, where the agency has laid a strong foundation to enter the next phase of its strong growth journey. Media Mantra has a proven track record of executing award-winning campaigns for clients and I look forward to working alongside Udit to drive a culture of excellence for clients across existing and new service offerings, with a clear focus on delivering communication outcomes that have a measurable impact on business outcomes," Rahul Mehta, CEO, Media Mantra said.

A post-graduate in Advertising and Communications management from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mehta brings strong expertise in corporate reputation management, brand reputation management, crisis management, social media influencer campaigns, internal communications, public affairs, senior executive training and brand marketing. His area of expertise transcends across diverse sectors such as consumer durables, FMCG, auto, B2B, BFSI, healthcare, aviation, travel & tourism, telecom, healthcare, and fashion and lifestyle.



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