After 32 years Bhaskar Das bids adiue to BCCL!

Serving a single organization for more than three decades is not a small achievement. Few do it in this age of quick job changes and fast growth. Those who do it are more from an earlier era when job loyalty and sticking to one job mattered most. One such personality is Dr Bhaskas Das who retired last month after a stint of 32 years with Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd (BCCL). Joining the group as a management trainee in its Kolkata office in 1980’s he rose to the position of Executive President of BCCL over the years, taking charge of its revenue division (Response). Immediate destination of Dr Das is not known but industry sources say he may join the Zee group  as a group resource, although no confirmation could be obtained. He may be involved in news and print business. 

 

During his stint with the Times group he had donned various roles. Dr Das joined as a management trainee in 1980. The stint at BCCL provided him with holistic management exposure including 18 years in Line function and Profit Center & Brand Management. Dr Das received multi-location, multi-brand exposure and after a year was appointed Head of the Advertising & Sales Department in Gujarat. After two years in this role he took over as  Sales Head of the Eastern Region in Kolkata and, in 1986, became the Profit Centre Head for East.  

 

In 1990, Dr Das was appointed Profit Centre Head of Gujarat and took over as Director of the Western Zone of Response (Ad sales) in 1995. In 2005, he took over as the Executive President of BCCL and since then has been instrumental in maximization of the company's volume & value market share by ensuring quality service to business constituents and driving value innovations. In his last role, Dr Das was responsible for over 85% of BCCL’s turnover and, during this period, the company’s advertising revenue has grown from Rs 1560 crs. to Rs 2900 crs. 

 

Dr Das has also been the brand custodian of The Economic Times. He was involved in its overall management including content, pricing, promotion & distribution, with the mandate to enhance the commercial health of the brand. Apart from being integrally involved in the broad strategic direction of the company, he was also a board member of ZOOM Entertainment Network Pvt. Ltd., Times Guaranty Ltd., Optimal Media Solutions Ltd., World Wide Media (a BCCL – BBC joint venture company marketing the Group’s magazines) and Vijayanad Printers Ltd. (a recent acquisition of BCCL).