New Delhi: Indian-origin Devika Bulchandani has been appointed as the Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ogilvy, the New York City-based British global advertising and public relations agency.
Bulchandani will succeed Andy Main, who stepped down from the post and will serve as a Senior Advisor until the end of the year.
In her new role Devika will be responsible for all aspects of the creative network's business across 131 offices in 93 countries and spanning its advertising, public relations, experience, consulting and health units, the agency noted.
Here are some glimpses of the brilliant life and career of Devika Bulchandani:
- Devika Bulchandani was born in Amritsar in Punjab and spent her early life there before attending Welham Girls’ School in Dehradun.
- She got a degree in English and Psychology at St Xavier’s College in Mumbai.
- After Mumbai Bulchandani moved to the University of South California for a master's degree in communications.
- Devika has spent 26 years at McCann in various leadership roles including President of McCann North America. She is the latest of Indian-origin executives taking leadership role in global multinationals in varied fields including advertising.
- She was the driving force behind Mastercard's long-running “Priceless” campaign as well as “True Name,” a feature launched in 2019 that empowers transgender and non-binary people to display their chosen name on their Mastercard, the statement said.
- She also helped launch “Fearless Girl,” a symbol of women's equality, a campaign that became one of the most awarded campaigns in the history of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, it added.
- Devika is a champion of creativity who brings passion, purpose, and an uncompromising focus on generating impact to everything she does," WPP CEO Mark Read said.
- “Her love for the industry, deep understanding of clients' needs, and track record of delivering growth for agencies and brands, make her the perfect choice to lead Ogilvy to even greater success”, he added.
- However, Devika’s “proudest achievements have occurred at the intersection of the social causes she champions and brand-building efforts on behalf of clients”.
- Devika Bulchandani is popularly known as Dev in the industry throughout the globe.
