Effective 1st August 2019, Kapil Arora will take over as Co-Chairman & CEO of 82.5 India and will partner Sumanto Chattopadhyay in leading and growing the 82.5 brand and business in India.
VS Srikanth, the current CEO of WPP agency 82.5 India, will move on by the end of September 2019. Srikanth has spent over 15 years with the WPP Group, working across Ogilvy offices in Chennai, Bengaluru and Mumbai, setting up and successfully running his own agency, Temple, and then coming back into the WPP fold to run Bates India and launch 82.5 India. Srikanth now moves on to pursue a personal passion, setting up a new venture in the Indian tourism sector.
Piyush Pandey, Chief Creative Officer, Worldwide & Executive Chairman, India, The Ogilvy Group: “82.5 is now a strong, independent WPP agency in its own right, with great talent and even greater aspirations. Kapil will bring new energy to 82.5 Communications in India, and will partner Sumanto to take it to new heights.”
Kapil Arora has been with Ogilvy since September 2000. He has worked across Ogilvy offices in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi, managing a range of clients and brands, from Unilever, Hutch and Titan in Bengaluru to leading the Vodafone national integrated team in Mumbai. Over the last 6 years, Kapil has played a leadership role at Ogilvy Delhi, growing the office and playing a key role in driving great work on Pernod Ricard, KFC, Sprite, Voltas, BMW and the BJP, among others.
Kapil Arora, President, Ogilvy North: “After having built the Ogilvy offering across Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi over the last 18 years, I’ve felt a strong urge for a new challenge from within the WPP group. 82.5 Communications is just that. So when I was offered the opportunity to partner Sumanto in leading 82.5, it was an obvious decision. We have an enviable set of clients and some incredible talent on board already. My mandate would be to help mould that into a relevant, winning offering that would add disproportionate value to clients.”
Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, 82.5 Communications: “Kapil comes with a proven track record. He is a people’s person who has built strong relationships with clients over the years. I extend a warm welcome to Kapil. I am confident that together we can take 82.5 to the next level.”
Srikanth and Kapil will work together through August and September 2019 to ensure a smooth leadership transition at 82.5 India.