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McCann Healthcare appoints Rajesh Rai as senior VP and ECD

Rai will lead all the creative work in the agency.

McCann Healthcare India has brought on board, Rajesh Rai, as senior vice-president and executive creative director. Rai comes with almost three decades of experience in the communication industry. He has been in the healthcare communication space since 2004.

McCann Healthcare appoints Rajesh Rai as senior VP and ECD
About the new entrant, Prasoon Joshi, executive chairman and CEO, McCann Media Worldgroup India (MWG), says, "Healthcare and wellness is a strategic focus for MWG, and I see tremendous potential for growth in this area. He is an accomplished advertising professional with almost three decades of experience. I have great memories of him as a professional and a person who led, motivated, and guided. With his exceptional talent and strategically sound approach, Rai will be a catalyst towards raising the bar of our creative product across medical, pharma and consumer healthcare marketing communication."

Speaking about his plans, Rai says, "The development of the agency will be based on growing the healthcare business by showcasing expertise on strategy thinking and creative flair. The other part of my profile will be responsible to keep a balance between business and creative work. Hence, I share the other part of my profile with Sohan Shah as senior vice-president and general manager, McCann Healthcare India."

Commenting on the new appointment, Shah says, "Rajesh is a proficient leader driven by clear thinking that translates into effective creative solutions. I look forward to partner with him to set new benchmarks for integrated healthcare communication in our industry."

Rai graduated from Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education in English Literature in 1980. He started his career with Shilpi Advertising in 1983 as a trainee copywriter. In 1985, he shifted to Ogilvy Benson and Mather (now Ogilvy & Mather), Mumbai, as a copy supervisor. After two years, in 1987, he got transferred to Delhi with the same agency and worked there for six years. He left the agency as associate creative director in 1993. The same year, he joined Everest Integrated Communications (DY&R Agency) as vice-president and senior creative director.

In 2001, he moved on to a WPP agency called Brand Quiver, and worked there for about two years. He then joined Ogilvy Healthcare in 2003 as national creative director. The agency merged with Ogilvy One in 2004, and Rai continued as national creative director. Then he joined Dentsu communications for a short stint of nine months in 2005. Thereafter, he shifted to an independent agency called Sorento Healthcare Communications as executive creative director in 2005. After four years, he was appointed as the executive vice-president and chief creative officer there, prior to joining McCann Worldgroup.

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