Starcom has appointed Rathi Gangappa as Chief Executive Officer in India. Last month, the agency had announced the resignation of its Group CEO Mallikarjun Das CR who is slated to join Star India.
Gangappa comes with a wealth of experience – over 20 years in media and brand communications with rich digital and data expertise. She has navigated key leadership roles requiring a fine balance of strategy and execution in complex cross-cultural environments, driving transformation programmes, building capability and nurturing talent spanning media strategy, innovation, sponsorships, digital, mobile and social media marketing.
Gangappa’s last role was as COO at MediaCom, where she was in charge of day to day operations and managing key client relationships across Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. Her past stints also include Vodafone, Onmobile Global Ltd, Maxus and Lowe Lintas.
Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Media India, said, “We’re delighted to have Rathi join us. Her immense experience across agency, client and publisher eco-systems and demonstrated capabilities across the entire gamut of Marketing and Brand communications is exemplary. She shares our view on the consumer journey being ever-evolving and the challenges it poses to brands and is passionate about Starcom’s Human Experience approach. She will no doubt be an asset and will add value to our clients and people alike.”
Gangappa said, “I am very excited to join Starcom, especially at a time when the agency has gained so much momentum. Starcom’s Human Experience focus connects human values with brand objectives, delivering seamless integrated communications. I look forward to driving business results for clients and adding to the Starcom culture of innovation and collaboration. It has a wonderful set of clients both locally and globally and a really strong backing of Publicis Media.”