Havas Worldwide India appoints Anupama Ramaswamy as CCO

Havas Worldwide India has announced the appointment of Anupama Ramaswamy as its Chief Creative Officer. She comes on board to further catapult the creative transformation of the agency, which has seen unparalleled business growth over the last three years. Anupama’s last stint was with Dentsu Impact where she was working as the Managing Partner and National Creative Director.

Anupama will be reporting to Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, and begin her new role at the agency effective October 2022. She will also work closely with Manas Lahiri, Managing Director, Havas Worldwide India. 

Anupama will be based out of the agency’s Gurgaon office, overlooking the complete client roster of both Gurgaon and Mumbai offices that have witnessed tremendous business growth over the last three years. This includes some of the biggest global and Indian brands, including Reckitt, Dabur, Tata Group, P&G, Stellantis, Vivo, Aegon Life, Fortis, Suzuki, UTI Mutual Fund, Celio, William Grant, amongst others. In 2021 alone, Havas Worldwide India garnered over 30% growth across its Mumbai and Gurgaon offices on the back of significant business wins, resulting in it being consistently ranked in the top 3 in the R3 New Business League Creative Agency list.

Touted as one of the most celebrated creative minds in the country, Anupama has made an indelible mark through her clutter-breaking work, passion for art direction and pure play advertising. Through her career, she has worked with some of the leading agencies in India and several marquee global and indigenous brands across sectors including Maruti Suzuki, Ikea, Vivo, Paytm, Subway, Tata Tea Digital, Samsung Mobiles, Airtel, Dabur, Lacoste, Whirlpool and many more. Her recent campaigns, which include the Paytm Divide and Chotu, made her win the One Show, a couple of Spikes, New York Festivals and also feature as one of the Impact Creative Stars '21. During her stint at JWT Delhi as senior creative director, Anupama led the Delhi office to its   first Cannes Lions and Clio Gold. She has also been a recipient of some of the most coveted awards including Cannes Lions, Clio, Adfest, New York Festivals, Abbys, Effies, Spikes, Global Healthcare Awards, IAA Awards and The One Show and her work for Fuji Film has been featured in the prestigious Gunn Report as one of the top 20 most awarded print campaigns in the world. She has been on the jury of several prestigious awards like The One Show, and grand jury at AME awards, New York Festivals. 

“We have steadily been building Havas Worldwide into a company that embodies Yannick Bollore’s ‘Together’ philosophy. Where skill sets from the old world and new work seamlessly and harmoniously. This and the rising standard of our work have made us the fastest growing agency. Now is the time for our work to take a giant leap. And I can’t think of a better person to lead this than Anupama. She is a hugely talented creative with a heap of awards and great work to prove it. But the one talent of hers that I value the most is her ability to nurture a culture that makes people and their ideas better. She is a team player and fits right into our philosophy. And I believe she will be a leader who will usher not just Havas, but also our industry into the future,” said Bobby Pawar.

Talking about her new role, Anupama said, "The complete resurgence of Havas Group India has made it one of the most sought-after networks. The group has been working in an integrated manner long before other agencies had even thought about it. So, the opportunity to work with Bobby again, who is an institution in his own right, along with Rana's overall vision for the network, drew me in to be part of this unprecedented growth story. But what excited me the most is the task bestowed upon me by Bobby and Rana - to induce a new and fresh creative culture.”

She further added, “As we come out of the pandemic, what we need is empathy and encouragement to take on this new improved hybrid world. I believe people create the best work when they love where they work. I genuinely can’t wait to meet the 200+ associates of Havas Worldwide India - so we can roll up our sleeves and enjoy the process of creating meaningful work for the brands we have now, and also the ones we will have soon! I look forward to beginning this journey with Manas and the entire Havas Worldwide India team."

Ravinder Siwach, who has been leading the creative mandate of Havas Worldwide India as Executive Director and National Creative Director, is moving on to pursue new opportunities. He will be in the agency till October 2022. Under his leadership, Havas Worldwide India has created some stellar work, and he has been a pivotal part of the agency’s transformation over the last three years.

Speaking about Ravinder’s exit, Bobby said, “Ravinder has played a key role in the resurgence of Havas Worldwide. However, he has been chomping at the bit to do other things, many beyond advertising, for a while. Which means his journey with us is over while another one begins. We all wish him the best in his new adventures.”

Ravinder Siwach said, “The reputation that Havas Worldwide India has built over the last three years is truly inspirational. Being part of this growth journey was an enriching experience. I thank Rana, Bobby and the entire team at Havas Worldwide India for their tremendous support and wish them luck for the journey ahead.”