Anil Kapoor made chairman emeritus at Draftfcb Ulka

Kapoor was most recently a member of Draftfcb's global operating council and the regional president of Draftfcb Asia Pacific and Africa, a position he assumed following the 2006 merger that created Draftfcb

Anil Kapoor has been appointed chairman emeritus of Draftfcb Ulka. He will continue to act as a resource for the agency in an advisory capacity. Kapoor has spent 22 years at Draftfcb Ulka and its predecessor agencies.

He was most recently a member of Draftfcb's global operating council and the regional president of Draftfcb Asia Pacific and Africa, a position he assumed following the 2006 merger that created Draftfcb. Until that time, he served as managing director and CEO of Draftfcb Ulka. The agency currently has six offices in India, in Mumbai, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai, and Cochin.

"Over the past 22 years, Anil has set the standard for strong business and managerial skills, always leading by example," says Laurence Boschetto, global CEO and president of Draftfcb, in a press statement. "While a great strategist, Anil firmly understands the importance and difficulty of executing against that strategy, and he has always delivered. The strong, unified management team he has built is perhaps his greatest legacy."

Kapoor's core management team over the past two decades has included Nagesh Alai, CFO; MG (Ambi) Parameswaran, CEO, Draftfcb Ulka Mumbai; Arvind Wable, CEO, Draftfcb Ulka Delhi; Shashi Sinha, CEO, Lodestar UM Media; and Niteen Bhagwat, CEO, Interface Communications. KS (Chax) Chakravarthy was an addition to the team, when he joined Draftfcb Ulka two years ago as NCD.

"Anil's core leadership team has long believed in the vital importance of teamwork, and they will continue leading our Indian offices in their respective roles," adds Boschetto. "As Anil transitions out of active day-to-day management of the agency, our operations in India remain in very strong hands."

On his new role in the scheme of things, Kapoor remarks in an official communiqué, "This decision represents a natural progression for me. I have enjoyed every day of my career, and look forward to continuing my long relationship with Draftfcb Ulka, albeit in a different capacity."

He adds that he firmly believes that the agency's fully integrated setup is right for these times, and it is well-positioned for future growth. "It is the right time for me to take on this new role," he says.

Kapoor is also proud of seeing a country with a developing economy such as India assume greater stature in Draftfcb's global organisation, which led to his being given additional responsibilities across Asia Pacific and Africa. "I am even prouder of the unified leadership team I assembled in India, most of who have been with the agency for more than 20 years. It's most satisfying knowing that the agency will remain under their experienced and watchful eyes, guaranteeing a smooth transition," he comments.