Sandip Tarkas quits Media Direction; Praveen Tripathi to replace him

Sandip Tarkas, chief executive, Media Direction, the media arm of RK Swamy/ BBDO has put in his papers. Tarkas is believed to be moving to Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Enterprises. Tarkas has been with RK Swamy/ BBDO since its early days in May 2004.

Tarkas has experience of over 17 years in the advertising and media industry. Prior to Media Direction, he was president of MPG, the media arm of Euro RSCG.

Meanwhile, Praveen Tripathi, who is currently chief executive of RK Swamy/ BBDO’s consulting division, Hansa Consulting, will replace Tarkas in Media Direction.

Tripathi will also continue with his responsibilities as chief of Hansa Consulting.

Speaking to agencyfaqs!, Srinivasan Swamy, CEO, RK Swamy/ BBDO, says, “We have been looking for a method to combine our strategic consulting services with our media offerings. Bringing the two services under a common leadership was a logical step in serving our clients in manifold ways. This move will mean better utilisation of human resources, giving our people many more opportunities for career development.”

Before joining RK Swamy/ BBDO, Tripathi was with Mediaedge: CIA, where he was the managing director. In September 2003, he joined Zenith Media as its president, South Asia, and director, strategy planning, Asia. With the re-branding of Zenith Media to Mediaedge: CIA in May 2004, Tripathi was redesignated managing director of the operations.

In September 2002, Tripathi moved to Starcom China as strategic planning director for the agency’s P&G business in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

In his more than two decades of experience in the industry, Tripathi has successfully juggled media, advertising and research with the finesse of an expert. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur and IIM Ahmedabad, he joined Lowe as a management trainee in 1979, in the process becoming its first media recruit.

At Lowe, Tripathi was responsible for conceptualising and developing the first-ever computerised media package, LIN-COMPACK; he was simultaneously honing his client servicing skills with Lever brands such as Liril, Rexona and Sunlight. He was eventually appointed account supervisor for all Lipton brands at the agency’s Kolkata office in 1983, before he opted out of there in 1986.

His next definitive stint was at Marg (now ORG Marg), where he spent 10 years from 1986 to 1996, accumulating a number of firsts to his credit. These included leading both the NRS 1990 and 1995 studies, establishing the first people meter based TV audience measurement service in India called C&STAM (now only TAM) in December 1995 as well as pioneering efforts such as the decision makers media survey in 1987, children’s media survey in 1989 and upmarket media survey in 1992.

In 1996, he joined Leo Burnett as associate regional director, media and strategic planning. And when the agency launched its media division, Starcom, in 1999, he became the managing director of the company.

An enthused Tripathi says, “I have worked with three other groups in the past. I find Media Direction to be rock solid in comparison. It will be a pleasure to be a part of this team. My primary challenge is new business acquisition and consolidating the entire team at Media Direction.”

© 2005 agencyfaqs!