Pratap Bose quits O&M, will join Mudra as COO

Pratap Bose, chief executive officer, Ogilvy & Mather India, has quit. Confirming the news to afaqs!, Bose reveals that he will join Mudra as its chief operating officer. Bose had been with Ogilvy for the last 15 years in various capacities, including as head of its outdoor function for a long time before taking over as CEO.

Commenting on his decision to move on, Bose says, “I have enjoyed every moment at Ogilvy, but the time has come to pursue my passions and ambitions.” At Mudra, Bose says, he will get a grip on non-traditional advertising media vehicles, including retail, digital, new media and brand activation. “I have been part of a leader brand for a long time, now it’s time to move on to a challenger brand and turn it around!” he smiles, referring to Mudra’s ambitious growth plans. Bose will also serve on the Mudra Group’s executive board.

Bose took on the role of CEO at Ogilvy in 2006 – he was the youngest CEO in the agency – replacing John Goodman, who moved to head O&M Japan. Prior to that, he was president of Ogilvy Activation and managing director, South Asia, at Kinetic.

Bose has also been given the mandate to grow and fast track Rapp Collins and Tribal DDB into top class customer relations management and digital agencies. He will strengthen the group’s out of home (Primesite), promotional marketing (Kidstuff), trade marketing (Multiplier) and health and lifestyle practices.

Commenting on Bose’s appointment, Madhukar Kamath, managing director and CEO, Mudra Group, says, “We believe that each of the marketing services specialists has immense potential and the restructuring will help us realise it. Bose’s experience and burning ambition are in line with our vision for the Mudra Group.”

On the new structure, he adds, “Clients don’t believe in ‘the line’ – below, above or through. We want to erase it. Bobby Pawar’s appointment as chief creative officer was a step in this direction, and so is Bose’s.”

Over the next three-five years, Kamath sees the Mudra Group moving from three verticals – advertising, marketing services and media – to 10-15 high quality marketing communications businesses.

Bose, who qualified as a chartered accountant, stumbled upon advertising. Starting his career as an accountant at Selvel Vantage, he then moved to sales at the outdoor media house. This was his first brush with advertising. In 1993, he became part of the Ogilvy family and worked with Roda Mehta, then the biggest name in media planning. His early days at Ogilvy were spent building up the outdoor business. Until then, Ogilvy did not have a separate outdoor division, nor was there any specialised below-the-line (BTL) unit. Ogilvy Landscapes, the outdoor advertising division, was set up under Mehta.

In 2002, Bose took over the operations of Ogilvy Live, the events and promotions division. He went on to create the retail and visual merchandising arm, Ogilvy Signscapes, a year later. In 2004, he took charge of Ogilvy Outreach, the first and largest rural advertising and marketing unit in the country.

Bose has quite a few awards to his name. In 2000, he won the WPP Atticus Award. He has also partnered creatives to win numerous international outdoor awards at Cannes, the London International awards, the Clio awards and the One Show awards.