Atul Sharma exits Ruder Finn India after seven years

Atul Sharma has exited Ruder Finn India, bringing to a close a seven-year association with the communications firm. Sharma most recently served as CEO of Ruder Finn India and head of the Middle East, a role he took on in March 2023.

He joined Ruder Finn India in 2018 as managing director and vice president, and went on to lead the firm’s operations across India and the Middle East. During his tenure, Sharma worked across sectors including technology, telecom, venture capital, aviation, automobiles, sports, lifestyle, retail and consumer durables.

Sharma has over two decades of experience in the public relations industry and has advised Indian and multinational companies on corporate reputation, marketing communications, crisis management, advocacy and stakeholder engagement.

Before joining Ruder Finn, he held senior leadership roles at Genesis Burson-Marsteller, where he served as chief operating officer and earlier as India practice chair for telecom and technology. His career has also included stints at Burson-Marsteller, Weber Shandwick and Clea Public Relations.

Announcing his departure, Sharma wrote in a LinkedIn post: “Last days tend to make you pause. It’s like finishing a chapter. While you cherish all the good moments which have gone by, you are also looking forward to new beginnings, with excitement and trepidation. But while that can wait, I just wanted to thank everyone who was a part of the journey at RF, from colleagues to partners to clients to friends to family members.

Seven years ago, I joined Ruder Finn India with a simple belief that if you put people first and stay curious about what’s next, the rest has a way of following.

Over these years, we built, broke, rebuilt, calibrated, celebrated, disagreed, laughed, won some, lost some, and learned a lot in between. We grew the business, yes, but more importantly, we built teams, leaders, and relationships that I’m deeply proud of.

What I’ll take with me isn’t just the work or the milestones. It’s the energy of the people, the trust of clients who stayed through, and the quiet moments when things didn’t go our way… but we showed up anyway.

As I sign off, I do so with gratitude. For the colleagues who challenged me, the teams who carried the weight, and the clients who believed in us. And for an organisation that allowed me to build, question, and evolve.”