Usha Rachael Thomas joins Hill+Knowlton Strategies as client services director

Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K), a communications consultancy in India, has appointed Usha Rachael Thomas as client services director. Based in Mumbai, she will serve as a strategic advisor to H+K’s portfolio of clients with a special emphasis on the agency’s media and entertainment (M&E) clients.

Speaking on the appointment, Chetan Mahajan, president and chief executive officer, H+K India, says, “We have one of the largest portfolio of clients in the media and entertainment space. As preferred partners to large M&E conglomerates like Sony Entertainment Television and Times Network among others, our advisory expertise and execution capabilities are industry-leading. With Usha on board adding to our deep domain expertise, coupled with micro-vertical strategy, our ability to craft compelling domain-specific communications goes from strength to strength.”

Thomas comes with nearly two decades of experience in the Indian media and entertainment sector. Most recently she was heading communication at Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) for Zee’s Hindi GEC, Cinema, FTA and Premium clusters including Zee TV, Zee Cinema Zindagi, Zee Anmol, amongst others. Prior to ZEEL, Thomas headed public relations for the Hindi, Bangla and Marathi GEC division of STAR India, an Indian media and entertainment company, owned by 21st Century Fox.

Previously, Thomas spent nine years as a journalist reporting on the media and entertainment sector. She has served as assistant editor of HT Cafe – Hindustan Times, principal correspondent and head of TV page at DNA After Hrs, and as a correspondent at Indiantelevision.com, Times of India Westside Plus, Mid-Day Metro, and Free Press Journal newspaper.

Vivian Lines, global vice chairman, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, adds, “Media and Entertainment has been one of the fastest growing sectors in India, set to outpace Indian GDP and also outshine global M&E growth. The sector has been proactive in embracing new technology and digitization, thus opening up multiple avenues for integrated marketing communications to play a significant part in future growth. We are delighted to have Usha join us to lead even greater opportunities within this space, as well as bring her expertise to bear across our full client portfolio.”

Thomas is an alumna of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, an Economics graduate from Sophia College, Mumbai and schooled in Jamnabai Narsee, Mumbai. She topped Mumbai University during her Post Graduate Course in Journalism and Mass Communication and received the Jehan Daruwala Scholarship. At ZEEL, Thomas was recognized as ACE being in the top 1 percent of high performers, and she has also been acknowledged with the Achiever’s Award for communications at Punjab Kesari’s Naari Shakti Awards.