Alokananda Chakraborty
Advertising

Sonal Dabral to move to Singapore as ECD & Chairman, O&M Advertising

Dabral’s responsibilities will be not only as mentor and leader of the creative product, but also, together with Gerard Lim, to drive the whole advertising business

Some three-and-a-half years after accepting the challenge to head creative at O&M Malaysia and leaving Indian shores, adman Sonal Dabral will once again be packing his bags. Dabral - who is currently managing director & executive creative director, Ogilvy Malaysia - is scheduled to shift base to Singapore as executive creative director & Chairman, O&M Advertising, in May this year.

As per a communiqué from Ogilvy Hong Kong, Dabral will be joined by Singapore-national Gerard Lim (who moves from Leo Burnett, where he was general manager), who has been appointed as managing director of Ogilvy Singapore. The communiqué further states that Dabral's responsibilities will be not only as mentor and leader of the creative product, but also, together with Lim, to drive the whole advertising business. ‘Dabral and Lim will take up their partnership in March, and Dabral will move to Singapore in May after a hand-over period in Malaysia when he will remain involved on some key brands,' reads the official release. It adds that Zayn Khan, currently group planning director, will succeed Dabral as managing director, O&M Malaysia.

The communiqué also quotes Tim Isaac, vice-chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Asia-Pacific, and chairman of Ogilvy & Mather Singapore, as saying: "We're delighted Sonal and Gerard have agreed to come to lead the team in Singapore. They have risen to the challenge of taking on Ogilvy's (and Asia's) most creatively successful operation - O&M Singapore was again ranked the most creative agency in Asia in the latest Campaign Brief rankings. There is great talent already in place and we won lots of awards and applause over the past few years. I have no doubt that Sonal and Gerard will continue that tradition. What I believe they will add is a great ability to engage closely with clients' business ambitions. They are good listeners as well as having the highest creative standards."

Specific to Dabral, Isaac is quoted as saying, "Sonal started with Ogilvy in India where he was handpicked by Piyush Pandey, O&M India's executive chairman & national creative director. He also has a very strong four-year track record in Malaysia winning a host of regional and international awards and picking up some key accounts including Maxis, Gillette and KLIA Express."

The move is undoubtedly a big step forward for Dabral, who, in an earlier interview with agencyfaqs!, had said that the decision to accept the Malaysia offer was taken "one drunken evening". Whatever be the circumstances that led to the decision being taken, it was one that certainly did O&M Malaysia and Malaysian advertising a world of good. Ogilvy Malaysia, under Dabral, fetched the country its first One Show Gold Pencil as well as its first D&AD entry. "It tickles me to think that we have put Malaysia on the advertising map, as I really didn't know where the place was until I landed here," Dabral had said in last year's interview. "According to Campaign Brief's rankings, we are No. 1 in this market, and Tenth in the whole region. We also managed to get into the top 15 global Ogilvy offices in terms of creativity."

It's a new pitch that has been laid out for Dabral this time. And come May, a new set of challenges will be waiting to welcome him to Singapore. We wish our man in Malaysia… er, Singapore all the very best in his new assignment. © 2004 agencyfaqs!

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