Connecting People : Bates David gets new business head on Nokia

Bates David Enterprise has roped in Arun Mahajan as business head for Nokia. This development comes in close after the agency lost a few people on the account. No wonder, one of Mahajan's priority is to build up the team and further consolidate the business.

Says Mahajan, “There are two clear reasons why I have taken up this opportunity. One of them being loaded with a sense of deja vu. Recently, there has been a sort of mini churn out here. My role will clearly be to build up the team and grow the business. Also, Bates is a young, vibrant and a throbbing agency, which becomes an essential factor in joining it.”

Though most of his learnings and the major stint come from Mudra, the agency where he was working prior to joining Cheil. Mahajan has spent 10 years at Mudra's Delhi branch. He joined the agency in 1993 as an account supervisor and was handling the Nestle portfolio. Within the next two years he spent at the agency, Mahajan had almost handled all the brands at Mudra's Delhi branch. By the time he moved away from Mudra to join Cheil, he had already risen to the level of group business director.

Mahajan started his career at Everest Advertising and worked there for three years, 1989 onwards. He left the agency to join Triton. He was instrumental in setting up the team at Triton, though he had a rather short stint at the agency.

Alok Agrawal, branch head and executive vice president at Bates David Enterprise, Delhi, has confirmed the development. Agrawal says, “Mahajan has been brought in keeping in mind his vast experience and capabilities and will lead the Nokia business.”