McCann appoints Pradyumna Chauhan, Prateek Bhardwaj as joint NCDs

Chauhan comes with more than 15 years of experience in the industry and has been with McCann for a year now. He has worked with brands like MP Tourism, STAR Network, Airtel, ICICI Bank, Birla Sun life and Asian Paints. The agency notes that his penchant and eye for the craft of filmmaking is a distinctive aspect.

This is Bhardwaj's second stint at McCann. His experience spans several agencies and brands such as Sprite, Kinley, Chlormint, MasterCard, HP and Reebok. He also co-founded and ran an independent agency called Eleven Brandworks, adding an entrepreneurial mindset to exposure on big brands.

Prasoon Joshi, chairman, CEO and chief creative officer, McCann, says, "As an agency we are committed to our clients' business and do everything possible to bring the best and most cutting-edge talent onboard. These are carefully selected professionals in whom I have great faith and high expectations. I am positive that they will further enhance our creative product and add yet another dimension to the McCann offering."

McCann has promoted Akshay Kapnadak and Abhinav Tripathi to the role of creative heads of McCann's advertising operation in Mumbai.

Kapnadak has won Cannes Gold twice and also has One Show Gold Pencil under his belt. He has worked on brands like Coca-Cola, Marico and J&J. Tripathi has worked on clients such as L'Oreal, Saffola, Mumbai Indians and RBL.

Denzil Machado will now head McCann's Craft Excellence for Mumbai. He won Grand Prix at Spikes and has several recognitions at Cannes, One Show and D&AD, together with a client portfolio including L'Oreal, Saffola, Park Avenue and Radio Mirchi.

Kapnadak, Tripathi and Machado will be responsible for the creative department at McCann, Mumbai.

McCann's creative head for South, Anil Thomas has been given extended responsibilities as his role expands across South Asia where he shall provide creative inputs and vision on a need basis. He has worked on TVS and Britannia.

In the New Delhi office of the agency, Ravinder Siwach and Kapil Batra, ECDs, will continue to lead their respective responsibilities.

Riding high on The Gunn Report positioning it as the No. 1 agency in India, and its chief creative officer being the first Asian to be invited to chair the Titanium jury at Cannes, McCann India is on a high and further strengthening its core offering in the country.