Cheil picks Atishi Pradhan as Chief Strategy Officer

Cheil Worldwide SW Asia today announced the appointment of well-known brand strategist, Atishi Pradhan as Chief Strategy Officer.

Atishi will lead the Integrated Strategy function at Cheil - encompassing traditional, digital, retail and experiential divisions. She will also spearhead the agency’s proprietary category/ consumer knowledge initiatives and guide both current and potential clients on brand marketing strategies. In addition, she will play an active role in enhancing data analytics, research, insights and new capabilities for Cheil in the Region.

Confirming the appointment Hari Krishnan, Chief Operating Officer, Cheil Worldwide SW Asia, said: “We are delighted to have Atishi on board to lead our integrated strategy function. As Cheil exponentially continues to grow business and capability, the need is to establish thought leadership. Atishi brings the much-needed
mindset and experience for us to focus and succeed in this area. Her ability to create engaging, strategically-led ideas will be invaluable to Cheil."

Atishi’s experience of over two and a half decades encompasses a multitude of diverse categories ranging from FMCG to technology, to education and health. It is her belief that strong ‘business objectives’ orientation for brands is the need of the hour which drives ones’ ability to devise brand strategy rooted in long-term objectives, as well as immediate imperatives that arise from changing competition, changing consumers, changing technologies. She comes with a rich understanding of consumers – their drives, their response to communication and media, and their relationship with brands. For Atishi, the challenge lies in finding creative solutions in unconventional starting points, and across unconventional media. She is completely convinced that new media, digital as well as mobile are the order of the day.

Commenting on her joining, Atishi Pradhan, CSO, Cheil Worldwide SW Asia, said: “I am really excited about working at Cheil. I believe there are many exciting opportunities ahead as it is an era where technology and new media are transforming everything around them. I am looking to bringing about transformations that drive brand solutions and create brand opportunities.”

Atishi joins from Mogae Media, which she joined in February 2012 as Chief Strategy Officer, where she devised strategies for brands, as also guided the analytics on the
Airtel base. Aside of developing sales tools and new apertures, she keenly evangelized these new mediums with clients and agencies alike. Atishi was also a
member of the screening jury for MMA Smarties Awards for New York and India.

Prior to that, Atishi spent over six years at Contract Advertising as Sr VP and Regional Planning Director - Delhi & South, where she created and consolidated a planning culture and also looked after planning for the South offices (Bangalore & Chennai).

Preceding this Atishi has held senior positions in account planning at JWT, been a stay at home mom and a guest faculty at IIM, Bengaluru. A Physics Honours Graduate from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, Ashiti holds a PGDM from IIM, Ahmedabad. !