Prasoon Joshi appointed chairperson, McCann Worldgroup Creative Leadership Council

Prasoon Joshi, executive chairperson, McCann Worldgroup India and regional creative director, McCann Asia Pacific has another feather to add to his hat. The Indian adman has been appointed chairperson of the newly formed McCann Worldgroup Creative Leadership Council, in addition to his present set of responsibilities.

As Joshi puts it, McCann Worldgroup doesn't possess the format of having a worldwide creative director, so this new position becomes significant in the scheme of things and is equivalent to the post of worldwide creative director. For McCann Worldgroup, this is the first time an Asian has been selected for this position.

Joshi shall be supported by five other senior creative people in the council - handpicked from within the McCann global fraternity on the basis of merit and not geography - by Nick Brien, who was appointed chief executive officer of McCann Worldgroup in April 2010. The senior members of the council include one from Brazil, one from Argentina, one from Spain, another from the USA and an executive creative director from China.

"The purpose of this council is to improve the quality of our creative product and raise the bar by reviewing creative work from time to time," says Joshi, while adding that the systems and procedures are being worked out.

For the record, Joshi began his brush with advertising with Ogilvy India in Delhi. After working with the agency for a decade, he joined McCann Erickson in 2002. In 2006, he was promoted as executive chairperson, McCann Worldgroup India and regional creative director, McCann Asia Pacific.