Jude Fernandes calls it a day at Mudra

Fernandes has been with the agency for 19 years.

After serving the agency for 19 years, Jude Fernandes, chief executive officer, Mudra India, and executive director, Mudra Group, has put in his papers.

Fernandes has confirmed the news to afaqs!

He will serve his notice period till September 30, 2011.

As regards his next move, Fernandes tells afaqs! that he has not yet decided upon his next destination. "I may join another agency, or may even move over to the client-side. Beyond this, I cannot comment further on my next move," he says.

Fernandes informs us that he plans to take it easy for a month, and take a break from work for a while, before joining his next organisation.

When asked about his reasons for quitting Mudra, Fernandes responds, "I have spent 19 glorious years at Mudra. The last few years have been exceptional for all Mudra India units and I would like to leave at the top of my game."

While with Mudra, Fernandes was responsible for Mudra West, Mudra East, Mudra South, Water (the brand strategy and design consultancy SBU under Mudra India), and Maatra (an arm of the Mudra Group that offers pre-media and localisation services).

Fernandes began his career with Lintas in Kolkata, in the early 1980s. While there, he worked on brands such as Lipton, Berger Paints and Reckitt & Colman, and Shaw Wallace.

After that, he moved on to Clarion (now Bates). At Clarion, he first worked in Mumbai, before moving down south to run the agency's Chennai operations.

Fernandes joined Mudra, in Mumbai, in the early 90s, after an inspiring meeting with A G Krishnamurthy (AGK).

At Mudra, he has handled brands such as Max Touch Cellular, Godrej Fair Glow, Reliance India Mobile, Godrej Real Good Chicken, and Hongkong Bank Credit Cards, amongst many others.