Neha Kalra
Advertising

Samir Gangahar ends stint at JWT; to move to Leo Burnett

Ganagahar will take over the reigns of Leo Burnett’s Delhi office as executive director; the top management positions have been lying vacant ever since Jayshree Sundar and Ali Imran quit the agency

Samir Gangahar has ended his 17-year stint with JWT. He is now set to take over the reigns at Leo Burnett’s Delhi branch as executive director. In fact, after two of its senior executives – Jayshree Sundar, president, North, and Ali Imran, branch head and executive vice-president, Delhi – quit the agency, there was a vacuum at Leo Burnett’s Delhi branch. At JWT, Gangahar was vice-president and client services director. He is currently serving his notice period, and is expected to join his new post by the end of this month.

Leo Burnett, Delhi, will now have two business heads, B Sreekumar and Lira Priyadarshini, and both will report to Gangahar. In turn, Gangahar will report to Arvind Sharma, managing director, Leo Burnett, India.

Samir Gangahar ends stint at JWT; to move to Leo Burnett
Samir Gangahar
Sreekumar, who has been with the agency for around three years, handles the Coca-Cola India portfolio, which is a very important account for the agency.

Priyadarshini is just a week old in the agency. She moved recently from Rediffusion DY&R. The agency is now contemplating having a third business head, and a decision on this is likely in a few weeks. Portfolios for Priyadarshini and the third business head are being worked out.

Sharma says, “The advertising market in Delhi is growing at a rate as high as 30 per cent. And Gangahar, with his rich experience in handling some of the biggest brands of this country, will add to the resources of the agency, besides providing a boost to the Delhi branch.”

Samir Gangahar ends stint at JWT; to move to Leo Burnett
Arvind Sharma
Gangahar started his career as a trainee in 1990, at JWT (then HTA), Kolkata. He was with the Kolkata branch for six years before he moved to the agency’s Delhi branch in 1996. He left the Kolkata branch as an account supervisor, stepping into the same role at Delhi.

He was assigned the role of client services director in 2000, and designated vice-president in 2003 (on the Pepsi business). Since 1996, he has been working on the Pepsi account. In 2005, he shifted his focus to Frito Lays, the snacks and food business of PepsiCo. At JWT, he has been handling the Nestle account for more than 10 years. He assumed additional responsibility of GE Money Wizard a few months ago. At the Kolkata office, he worked on the ITC business.

Gangahar has been instrumental in launching Pepsi’s orange drink, Mirinda, and the company’s bottled mineral water brand, Aquafina. He has also worked on Munch, Kit Kat Light and Kurkure.

Gangahar says, “The 17 years I have spent at JWT have taught me a lot, and I owe all the learning that I have gained, and also all that I have grasped in terms of market dynamics and consumer behaviour, to the agency. Leo Burnett brings me to face new challenges.”

Have news to share? Write to us atnewsteam@afaqs.com