Ogilvy India rejigs senior management

Kunal Jeswani is promoted to CEO of the agency.

Ogilvy & Mather India has announced a new management structure. It will be effective March 1, 2015. Apart from promotions, the agency has also expanded its board. Kunal Jeswani has been promoted to CEO, Hufrish Birdy to CFO, Kawal Shoor to national planning director at Ogilvy & Mather India. Hephzibah Pathak will assume a new role of global clients' director.

In a joint statement, Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director - South Asia and S N Rane, executive co-chairman and group chief operating officer - South Asia, say, "It is time that our very strong senior team joins us in all key management decisions of Ogilvy & Mather. Our clients should look forward to even greater impact from Ogilvy & Mather in the days ahead."

Jeswani, a MICA Ahmedabad alumnus, started his career in advertising around two decades ago and joined Ogilvy in 2005 as vice president - client servicing. He has many successes to his credit which includes heading OgilvyOne Worldwide with the responsibility of managing Ogilvy's digital business in India. Currently, he is the chief digital officer of the Ogilvy India group companies and he will retain this responsibility with his new role. Jeswani will report directly to the chairman's office and will work in close association with Geo/Discipline heads, Creative, Planning and business leaders.

A Chartered Accountant by profession, Hufrish is executive finance director at Ogilvy India. She started her career in a manufacturing company around 22 years ago and joined Ogilvy in 1995 as a senior finance executive. Hufrish will also report directly to the chairman's office and work in close partnership with Kunal Jeswani, Geo and discipline heads and other key stake holders of the company.

Assuming the new role, Hephzibah Pathak will be associated with Vodafone, Mondelez (India+Global), KFC, Unilever, Coke and Fiat. Working with operation heads of 360 degree offerings, she will be responsible for delivery that will meet client expectations.

Shoor, who has put a decade with Ogilvy building strong planning teams, led the agency's effectiveness agenda, and is providing strategic counsel to a number of clients like Cadbury, Tata Sky, ITC and Ceat to name a few. He will spearhead the next phase of development of planning and be responsible for the national planning agenda.

The company's existing India Board is being expanded with the nomination of Kunal Jeswani, Rajiv Rao (NCD), Navin Talreja (president - Mumbai & Kolkata Geography Head), Hufrish Birdy as additional directors.

Currently, the board comprises of Piyush Pandey, SN Rane, Madhukar Sabnavis, Poran Malani, Hephzibah Pathak, Miles Young, Paul Heath, Paul Cocks and John Goodman.