Spirit W | Team motivation leads to retention of good talent: MEC's Atrayee Chakraborty

Starting her career in the media industry a decade ago, Chakraborty worked with HTA, Kolkata under her mentor Indrani Sen who headed the department back in 2000. She worked on several accounts, primarily ITC tobacco and Rupa hosiery, for about two and a half years before moving to Lintas, Mumbai. She dedicated seven and a half years in the Lintas organization working across multiple portfolios both in media and in account planning. Thereafter, she joined MEC, Mumbai, in 2010. She currently spearheads the Colgate-Palmolive media business.

In a confession Chakraborty states that there has not been one but a contribution of four women that has shaped her life till today. Firstly, She credits her mother who had ingrained the basic values in her life; secondly, Indrani Sen, HTA, who helped her build her foundation in media planning; thirdly, Lynn Desouza, LMG, who intellectually nurtured her and helped her grow not just in the media space but also in bringing out her underlying desire towards goodwill and to stand for a larger cause. They also share the same motto "grow by growing others". And finally, Shubha George, MEC. In a short span of a year George has become her ideal in professional life. Chakraborty says, "She truly inspired me by handling tough situations with confidence, conviction and ease."

Chakraborty asserts that she has had the opportunity to work on a diverse set of categories, targeting different demographics and mindsets and has also had the privilege of having witnessed communication planning from multiple lenses ' as a media planner, as an account planner and as a consumer. Chakraborty has also spent hours interacting with consumers across the country, both in urban and in rural, on a one-on-one basis in order to understand their current need status and expectations beyond quantitative numbers which was mainly achieved during her short stint in account planning on HUL. Her moment of pride comes with this bank of knowledge, experience and insights together with her love for numbers which she has endeavored to deliver strategies to her clients time and again. She adds, "I am also proud of the small contributions I have made to society till now."

In the media space Chakraborty expresses that late working hours, especially at junior and middle level is often a restraint for good women talent in pursuing their career.

In her opinion the media industry lacks adequate investment in technology to automate some of the processes that are repetitive, man-hour intensive and mechanical in nature. Such automation would relieve man-hours currently stuck in mundane work for more creative, analytical and/or innovative thought process and our clients would get to see more integrated communication planning. She also believes that a team should be better motivated to learn new media opportunities. In this way the industry would fetch and also retain a better pool of talent.

Chakraborty desires to be perceived as a true professional, who is fair to everyone, stands by her words, has a vision for self and the organization and committed to the same. Living by her motto "grow by growing others" she will undoubtedly quench that desire. | By Vanessa Azavedo [vanessa(at)adgully.com]