Leo Burnett Orchard appoints Manav Ahuja as VP and Branch Head - Mumbai

In a recent development, Leo Burnett Orchard, The Leo Group India’s full service creative agency, has made some key senior management changes. The agency has brought on board Manav Rai Ahuja as vice president and branch head - Mumbai. The branch’s former vice president and head, Sharmine Panthaky, has moved to the Bengaluru branch in the same capacity. Panthaky now heads the branch overseeing the Amazon India business, Leo Burnett Orchard’s largest client. The duo will report to Mahuya Chaturvedi, chief operating officer, Leo Burnett Orchard. At Leo Burnett Orchard Mumbai, Ahuja will work closely with executive creative director Amod Dani.

Ahuja comes in from Leo Burnett India’s Gurugram office, where he was the vice president. He joined the agency in 2009 to launch Telenor in India. His advertising experience spans 14 years, of which he has spent the last eight with Leo Burnett India. He has also had stints with Lowe, McCann Worldgroup and Ogilvy & Mather in the past. He has worked on some of the biggest brands in the country namely Coca Cola India, Maruti Suzuki, General Motors, SBI Card, Uninor, Snapdeal, Perfetti, LG, Motorola and Yahoo! He has also worked in the high-end luxury retail sector during his year long stint with Lladro and Villeroy & Boch.

Speaking about bringing Ahuja on board, Chaturvedi, says in a press release, “Manav comes in with the rich experience of working on some of the biggest brands across categories. He will take the momentum of the Mumbai branch forward, keeping its winning streak going. His mandate is to grow the great body of work that the branch has done in 2017, by manifold. I expect 2018 to be an exceptional year for Leo Burnett Orchard Mumbai with Manav and Amod working together to create some fantastic work for our clients.”

Commenting on his new role, Ahuja, says in a press release, “Leo Burnett Orchard has great momentum right now. We have an exciting set of brands and the right mix of people to create some great work in the coming months. My personal focus would be to delight my current and prospective clients by offering them integrated solutions to their brand problems. I look forward to my new role with all its exciting challenges.”

When not dabbling in the business of brands and advertising, Ahuja likes to spend a lot of time in the kitchen experimenting with food. He loves cooking his favourite meals for his loved ones. The other thing that keeps him occupied when he is not brainstorming at work is planning elaborate road trips to different parts of the country.