Kunal Jeswani appointed as Group CEO for Ogilvy Singapore & Malaysia

Ogilvy Asia announced today that Kunal Jeswani has been appointed the new Group CEO for Ogilvy Singapore and Malaysia, succeeding Chris Riley, who is departing the agency.

Kunal has been with Ogilvy in India for the last 17 years. He has been CEO of Ogilvy India since 2015. Prior to that, Kunal was the Chief Digital Officer of Ogilvy India. During Kunal’s tenure as CEO, Ogilvy India has gone from strength to strength as a leading agency in the India market.

He brings both a depth and breadth of skills and experience to his new role, having spent over two decades in the communications business working with a range of clients, including: Unilever, Mondelez, Vodafone, Pidilite, The Tata Group, and The ITC Group.

He has also worked on the launch of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) and the South Asia Cricket Boards’ successful bid for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Ogilvy Asia co-CEO and Chairman of Ogilvy Singapore and Malaysia Group, Kent Wertime, said of the appointment, “I couldn’t be more thrilled that Kunal is taking up this important role. Kunal lives the Ogilvy spirit: he cares deeply about Ogilvy people and what we stand for, he is focused on building close client relationships, he is deeply passionate about the creative product for our clients, and he constantly aims to shape and transform the Ogilvy service offer through innovation, new capabilities and new partnerships.”

Effective 1^st June 2022, VR Rajesh will be elevated to Group President, Ogilvy India. As Group President, he will lead the integrated Ogilvy India P&L across all offices and will be responsible for the acceleration of all core Ogilvy capabilities in India – Advertising, Brand & Content; Experience; Health; PR & Influence and Ogilvy Consulting.

Piyush Pandey, Ogilvy’s Chairman of Global Creative & Executive Chairman, Ogilvy India, said: “VR is a fantastic leader and a pivotal driver of our business and our culture. He joined Ogilvy in 2004 and has grown from strength to strength within Ogilvy. Since 2018, he has led Ogilvy Mumbai & Kolkata, growing the business consistently year after year. He embodies Ogilvy values and knows how critical it is to nurture strong talent in our business.

He is a powerful growth driver, an influential client partner, and a passionate creative partner. VR also understands the importance of transformation in our business and has demonstrated this time and again – championing new transformative roles, new capabilities and new revenue streams.”.

Ogilvy India is one of the powerhouse agencies in the Ogilvy Asia and global network, and has consistently been voted one of the most effective agencies in the world. Ogilvy Singapore and Malaysia is a critical hub office in the Asia network, working with a breadth of international and local blue-chip clients.