Nakul Chopra steps down as CEO as Publicis Worldwide restructures operations, launches Marcel in India

Srija Chatterjee (MD) and Sudeep Gohil, (Chief Strategy Officer & Managing Partner) will join forces with Bobby Pawar (CCO and MD) will run all the Publicis Worldwide operations in India, including Marcel

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | March 30, 2017

Nakul Chopra

Today, in a major development, Publicis Worldwide announced an overhaul of their structure and leadership. Currently, the company has three agency brands – Publicis Ambience, Publicis Capital and Publicis Beehive. This will change with immediate effect. To make way for the changes, Nakul Chopra, CEO, Publicis South Asia, has stepped down. He will now be Senior Advisor at Publicis Communications India.

Publicis Worldwide is bringing in Marcel, one of the most innovative and creative shops in the world. Marcel was created to help brands thrive in the connected age. It was born when a great digital company came together with a premier creative boutique. And it is purpose-built to leverage big data, technology and storytelling to create great solutions. This is evidenced in its work for iconic brands like Ray-Ban, Uber, Instagram and many more.

Marcel has offices in Paris, Sydney, New York and Sao Paolo. In India, it will be headquartered in Mumbai.

Charles Georges-Picot, Global CEO, Marcel, said, “We are thrilled to open a new office in Mumbai. Marcel is a precious brand that we only share with like-minded people. I know that together we will create amazing work. It is what drives us at Marcel.”

In another development, Publicis Ambience and Publicis Capital will become Publicis India. It will continue to build on the momentum of creating share-worthy ideas that impact share of wallet.

New leadership

(L-R) Saurabh Varma, Bobby Pawar, Srija Chatterjee and Sudeep Gohil

To navigate and accelerate these transformations, Publicis Worldwide will have new leadership at the helm. Srija Chatterjee (Managing Director) and Sudeep Gohil, (Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Partner) will join forces with Bobby Pawar, (Chief Creative Officer and Managing Director). They will run all the Publicis Worldwide operations in India, including Marcel, and report to Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications, India.

Speaking about the new developments, Varma said, “I believe it is the right time for Marcel to come to India. 'Lead the change' can only happen through a disruptive model and a world-class international-Indian team. The leadership team has been carefully put together to deliver on our ambition for Publicis Worldwide in India.”

Srija Chatterjee joins from MullenLowe Singapore, where she was the Global Business Director. Her industry experience spans over 20 years, with long-standing stints at Lowe & Partners in Mumbai, and Marico Industries. An award-winner in her own right, she has led integrated cross-disciplinary teams across digital, PR, shopper and activation for local, regional and global brands alike.

About her new role, Chatterjee said, "When I met Saurabh and discussed the plans for Publicis, the potential and ambition for the agency left me both excited and nervous. With its mantra of 'Lead the Change', and the focus on true integration across all our different platforms, I believe that Publicis is now at a crucial juncture, poised for exponential growth and recognition. I look forward to being part of this journey with Bobby, Sudeep and the team here."

Gohil moves from 72andSunny LA, where he consulted on the agency's Asia-Pacific plans and led the Adidas business globally. Gohil is the rare planner who combines great strategic thinking with strong creative instincts and business savvy. He has played key roles in agencies like BBH London and Wieden+Kennedy Portland. Gohil set up Droga5 in Australia and later became its CEO.

On his appointment, Gohil said, “The Publicis team really impressed me with their bold ambitions, tenacious attitude and passion for great work. They have great clients and an enviable team. The opportunity to work with Bobby, Srija and Saurabh was a big part of my belief and excitement for the plan ahead for Publicis. All of this combined with the bold mandate for the business both locally and in the region made it an offer I couldn't refuse.”

Echoing Varma's sentiments on the evolution of Publicis Worldwide, Pawar said, “I am really excited for our people and our clients. We've been doing some cool work. With the addition of the world-class talent and global experience of Sudeep and Srija, I'm sure we will take it up a few notches. It's game on.”

Meanwhile, Publicis Beehive will stay focussed on offering holistic marketing solutions to Indian entrepreneurial clients. Sanjit Shastri continues as the CEO of Publicis Beehive. Additionally, he will now play a larger role in delivering 'The Power of One' for Publicis Communications. He will report to Saurabh Varma. Paritosh Srivastava, COO at Publicis Ambience, is now COO at Marcel.

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