Sanjay Nayak takes over as president, McCann-Erickson, India

That’s not all: Govind Pandey, vice-president and general manager of the Mumbai branch, will now be called president, advertising

McCann-Erickson, India, has found an insider to replace erstwhile president and COO Santosh Desai. Sanjay Nayak, senior vice-president and general manager, Delhi, has been elevated to the post of president.

Nayak will report to Prasoon Joshi, who has recently been made executive chairman, McCann-Erickson, India.

Nayak, who has been with the agency since 2001, will also head the other two divisions, McCann Healthcare and MRM, the agency’s interactive and direct marketing arm.

Sanjay Nayak

Nayak was earlier president and chief operating officer at TBWA Anthem, Delhi. He began his career as a marketing person with McDowell in 1983. After having spent seven years with the company, he moved on to Mothercare for a year and finally switched to advertising. In August 1991, he joined O&M, Bengaluru, as account director on the Brooke Bond brand. In 1993 he moved to Ogilvy, Kolkata as manager and returned to Ogilvy, Bengaluru in 1995 as the head of office. Starting 1998 he did a one year stint in Ogilvy, Singapore, as regional manager and supervisor on Kodak and Beecham (now SmithKline Beecham). In February 1999, Nayak returned to India as president of Speer, which had been acquired by O&M by then. He finally joined Anthem in June 1999.

In addition, Govind Pandey, senior vice-president and general manager, Mumbai, will now be president, advertising.

Pandey and Aditya Atri, senior vice-president and general manager, India – MRM and Momentum, will report to Nayak.

Pandey has been with the agency’s Mumbai branch since 2002. An IIM Bangalore alumnus, Pandey’s first brush with advertising dates back to 1990, when he joined Lowe (then Lintas India) as a management trainee. After Lowe, he worked for two years at Contract Advertising. Prior to joining McCann he was with Ogilvy as vice president and management partner.

In an official communiqué, Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman, McCann-Erickson, India, says that both have contributed tirelessly to the growth of McCann-Erickson, India, and proved to be pillars of strength for the organisation.

In addition to their new roles, Nayak and Pandey will continue with their current responsibilities of the McCann Delhi and Mumbai offices, respectively.

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