Dentsu India picks Arijit Ray as CEO!

Continuing with the series of senior-level appointments, the Dentsu India Group today announced the appointment of Arijit Ray as Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu Communications. Arijit’s key priority will be to enhance and reinforce the agency’s competencies and output including overall creative, strategy and services along with strengthening media synergies and driving growth.

 

Arijit joins Team Dentsu from the DDBMudra Group where he was President - DDBMudra West. Over his four-year tenure as Head of DDBMudra West, Arijit successfully steered the unit into the next orbit of growth, by seamlessly harnessing business growth by a combination of focused talent infusion, training and development and a noteworthy step-up in quality of work.

 

Welcoming Arijit to Dentsu, Rohit Ohri, Executive Chairman, Dentsu India Group said, “I am delighted to have Arijit join the leadership team at Dentsu India. Arijit’s experience across diverse product categories and in traditional as well as new media is what will help us drive Dentsu’s ambitious plans for India. I look forward to working closely with Arijit and Taira Kimura, COO, Dentsu Communications, to create a world-class integrated communications agency in India”.

 

Added Ken Terasawa, Executive Vice Chairman, Dentsu India Group said, “We are very pleased to have Arijit on board Team Dentsu. Arijit has strong expertise in driving organizational growth by leveraging the strength of teams combined with sharpening client deliveries. I look forward to Arijit leading Dentsu Communications and together with COO, Taira Kimura, creating some of the best work for our Indian, Japanese and global clients.”

 

Arijit Ray, Chief Executive Officer, Dentsu Communications said, “Dentsu in India is the midst of a serious expansion agenda led by Rohit's vision of building a top-notch integrated communication network. The Group is well into the phase of building a quality talent and client base and this will only get more impetus in the endeavour to shape enduring client relationships, conceive and execute cutting edge communication mandates that are not only award worthy but more importantly worthy of recognition in the market, in the consumers mind resulting in enhanced desirability and image/ market shares.”

 

On joining Team Dentsu, Arijit added, “What is also heartening in being a part of the Dentsu India team at this juncture, is the new benchmarks it is creating in the global context. Not many people are aware of Dentsu's leadership position in a large and important market like the US and the strides it has made in the digital space. I look forward to working closely with Rohit and support him in the aggressive plans he has for Dentsu in India.”

 

Arijit’s career in advertising began with New Delhi based-based Alfred Allan Advertising in the early 90's from where he moved to Triton Communications, New Delhi. Here he managed brands such as Geep Batteries, Salora TV’s and Fax Machines and Flurys Tea and Confectionery Products.  Arijit joined Rediffusion DY&R where over his 6 ½ years with them, he worked on brands such as Godfrey Philips India Ltd (Philip Moris), Rothmans,  Jaisalmer, Northpole, United Airlines, DS Group, Rajasthan Tourism, Ericsson Mobile Phones, Canon Copies and Singer Sewing machines among others. He was also part of the team that worked on the re-launch of the Jaisalmer brand with Dentsu Inc.,Tokyo.

 

Joining McCann Erickson, Delhi as Associate Account Director in 1999, Arijit led their Nescafe business as head of the team that launched the “Taste that gets you started out” communication, integrating it seamlessly into Nescafe’s then global communication platform ‘Open up’ Managing brands such as Coca-Cola India’s Fanta and Kinley Soda, Excelcia Foods, Braun and Duracell, Arijit also led the team for the national launch of the Gillette Series range in India.

 

Moving back to Rediffusion DY&R, Delhi as Account Director in 2000, Arijit was Business Head on their Godfrey Philips portfolio managing the Four Square Franchise, Select Filter and Northpole Menthol. He also lead the team to drive the new positioning for Maruti Suzuki’s Zen ‘Just add Zen to your life’. In 2001, Arijit moved to Rediffusion DYR, Kolkata as Branch Head. In his 21/2 years there, Arijit turned around the business from a one-client operation to a stable 7 client operation, with 4 of Kolkata's top 5 clients, recording one of the best years for the Kolkata operation both in terms of revenue and profit. In 2003, Arijit moved back to Rediffusion DY&R, New Delhi as General Manager on the AirTel National Business.

 

In early 2004, Arijit joined O&M, Mumbai as Vice President and Head of their Specialist Auto Practice Group, leading work on brands Bajaj Pulsar and CEAT Tyres. Also as the Global Team Leader for the bp Castrol DEO portfolio, he spearheaded the New Technology Product Concept Global research project with the bp Castrol worldwide’s Marketing & R&D Teams. He also led the team to launch one of the most successful bikes in the Bajaj Portfolio, Discover where he led the negotiation for Jackie Chan to endorse the brand.

 

Moving to Saatchi & Saatchi in 2005, as Business Head, Mumbai Operations, Arijit led Logan’s India launch for Mahindra Renault. While also heading the Reliance Infocomm portfolio, he developed strong telecom experience, becoming the Knowledge Leader in the category for the agency in the MESA region, successfully driving the strategy development process for the Sony Ericsson pitch in India. In 2008, Arijit joined Mudra as Executive Vice President, & Head Mudra West.

 

An honours graduate in Commerce from Delhi University, Arijit also completed a programme in marketing management from MICA, Ahmedabad. A highly awarded and professionally reputed business head, Arijit has consistently sharpened his faculties by participation in advertising and creative workshops such as the DDB Advanced Leadership Programme in Shanghai, (ALP 2010), the Advanced Seminar on Advertising Skills DY&R - (ASAS Penang, Malaysia 1996), the Lovemarks workshop (Saatchi & Saatchi) and the Bill Folley Creative workshop (Rediffusion DY&R) to name a few.