FCB Ulka appoints John Thangaraj as executive planning director - North

FCB Ulka Advertising has appointed John Thangaraj as executive planning director - North. He joins FCB Ulka from Mindshare, where he was head of strategy, North.

Thangaraj has worked on a wide variety of clients and categories ranging from FMCG, fashion, and auto, to e-commerce, QSR, and start-ups.

Speaking on his new role, he says, "Most people think of FCB as a legacy agency, with a rich heritage of strategic thinking and a strong base of long-term clients, which of course it is. But, it's also an agency that is re-inventing itself for today, with a strong focus on media neutral, idea out-thinking that impacts consumer behaviour in multiple ways across multiple contexts. One of my biggest mandates will be to drive this agenda and I have the perfect support system in which to do so."

Commenting on Thangaraj's appointment, Suman Srivastava, vice-chairman and chief strategy officer, strategic planning, FCB Ulka, says, "As we strive towards providing our clients truly integrated brand solutions, we need people who have experience across diverse fields. That is why Thangaraj's experience fits in so well with us. He has worked on a wide range of brands and categories from the creative agency side, as well as the media agency side. He is an all-round thinker, and that is essential for integrated strategies."

Nitin Karkare, CEO, FCB Ulka, too, is optimistic. "I look forward to work with Thangaraj. He will be our key resource in providing a larger strategic and business perspective to our clients through his varied experience across categories. His fresh thinking, enthusiasm and exposure will help us as we devise integrated communications and engagement platforms to connect with the new changing consumers," says Karkare.