Top management changes at Dentsu Marcom, Dentsu Communications

In a significant year-end management reshuffle, both the Dentsu agencies – Dentsu Marcom and Dentsu Communications – have new leaders at the helm.

Rajesh Aggarwal, who was the COO of Dentsu Marcom until now, takes over as executive director and head of the agency. He succeeds Y Miura, who was on secondment from Dentsu Inc., Tokyo. Miura now moves to Brussels to join Dentsu Europe.

Meanwhile T. Furuta, vice-president, also on secondment from Tokyo, will now be the agency's Delhi branch head. Furuta, until now, used to oversee the Honda account at Marcom, a business that will still remain under his direct charge.

At Dentsu Communications, Ruchira Raina, who was till now the head of Dentsu Communications, Bangalore, has been promoted to the level of executive director and head of the agency. Kenji Nogami, vice-president, another Japanese expatriate on secondment from Dentsu Inc. Tokyo, takes over Raina's earlier assignment. Nogami, who has been heading the Toyota business, will continue to personally lead the business.

Talking about the twin developments, Sandeep Goyal, chairman, Dentsu India, says, "The year 2004 has been a wonderful year for both the Dentsu agencies. Marcom is now a significant player in Delhi, and its Mumbai operation too is up and running. Dentsu Communication has attained a leadership position in Bangalore and its Delhi operations are now into rapid growth. We have excellent teams in place. The new leaders, I am sure, will propel their agencies to exponential growth in 2005.”

The combined billings of both the Dentsu agencies touched the Rs 200 crore mark in 2004. For Goyal, and the industry at large, this is no mean achievement by any measure. "Considering this is the first full year of operation for Dentsu Communications, and Dentsu Marcom is a barely nine month-old agency, we have done very well,” says an excited Goyal.

Aggarwal shares the sentiment. "This, indeed, is a great achievement for the Dentsu agencies. And, we have striven towards it with sincere and hard work. Imagine, we worked on Christmas too.” Shedding some light on the growth plans for 2005, Aggarwal says, "Well the plan is to consolidate the Delhi office and grow the Mumbai branch.”

The Mumbai office is a new set up with Tata corporate and HDFC's Standard Life Insurance as its major accounts. "At the moment, we do not have a branch head, but we are on the look out,” Aggarwal mentions.

The news of management changes at the top comes close on the heels of the appointment of Ashish Dabral as vice-president of the Delhi office of Dentsu Communications. In his new role, Dabral would be responsible for setting up the team and growing the business at Dentsu Communications, while Raina, who will continue to be based in Bangalore, will oversee the agency's overall performance.

© 2004 agencyfaqs!