Publicis brings Marcel to India; Srija Chatterjee, Sudeep Gohil to run operations along with Bobby Pawar

Publicis Worldwide has 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.

Publicis Worldwide is bringing in its creative shop Marcel which was created to help brands thrive in the connected age to Mumbai, India. It was born when a digital company came together with a premier creative boutique. It is purpose-built to leverage big data, technology, and storytelling to create solutions.

Charles Georges-Picot, Global CEO, Marcel, says, "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."

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

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.

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, Saurabh Varma, says, "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. She has led integrated cross-disciplinary teams across digital, PR, shopper and activation for local, regional and global brands alike.

Commenting her new role, Chatterjee says, "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. He has played key roles in agencies such as BBH London, and Wieden+Kennedy Portland. Sudeep set up Droga5 in Australia and later became its CEO.

On his appointment, Gohil comments, "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 adds, "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, the COO at Publicis Ambience, is now the COO at Marcel.

Nakul Chopra, CEO, Publicis South Asia, will now be the Senior Advisor at Publicis Communications India.