Bindu Sethi joins JWT India as chief strategy officer

Prior to this, Sethi was the chief strategy planning officer, Grey Asia-Pacific, and national planning director, Grey India.

Bindu Sethi is joining JWT as chief strategy officer India. This appointment will further bolster the senior leadership of the agency and complete the agency's senior management restage with her strategic skills and capabilities.

Her last appointment was that of Asia-Pacific strategy officer for Grey Worldwide, and Grey India's national planning director. At Grey, she worked with a wide range of clients such as GSK, Honda, Reliance Communication, Britannia, and Ferrero.

Commenting on the importance of strategy, Sethi says, "The Indian market is becoming increasingly complex. Choice has a whole new meaning for the consumer; the strategic challenge is high."

She feels that smart perspectives and smarter ideas can unravel complexities. "It is the creative solution that dissolves complexity and resolves the choice preferences of consumers. JWT puts me in a position to take on these marketing challenges," she adds.

JWT India has actively invested in new senior talent in the recent months to help scale up the level of services provided to current, as well as to future clients. JWT recently hired creative Bobby Pawar as its chief creative officer and managing partner for India in November 2011. The agency had, earlier this year, hired Sanjeev Bhargava as managing partner in Delhi, and Max Hegerman as head of digital.

The agency also elevated three of its executive creative directors Swati Bhattacharya, Tista Sen and Senthil Kumar to the posts of national creative directors.

"We are moving decisively to build our bench strength, and to bring Sethi into this role is an important part of that strategy," says Colvyn Harris, chief executive officer, JWT India. "We are pleased to have her back in the fold. We know from experience that she's a valuable asset, and she's gone on to grow her skills at the national and at the Asia-Pacific level. She brings all that experience back to us, and our clients," says Harris.

According to Harris, Sethi's mandate will be to develop and integrate the agency's strategic planning capabilities. "She will help deliver our vision to be a creative powerhouse as we create the best value proposition for our clients," adds Harris.

Michael Maedel, president, JWT Asia-Pacific says about Sethi's appointment, "She is extremely talented, and brings depth, experience and insight to this critical leadership role. India is an increasingly important market for many of our global clients, so this appointment is both vital and timely."

In an effort to create opportunities for brands, build deep consumer sensitivity, and partner the creative team in the agency's quest for high quality ideas and strong client relationships, Sethi will be supported by Atika Malik and Mythili Chandrasekhar, JWT's senior vice-presidents and executive planning directors, as well as executive planning directors Pinaki Bhattacharya, Shaziya Khan and Navonil Chatterjee.

Sethi has spent more than two decades in the advertising and marketing industry. She began her career at the Indian Market Research Bureau (IMRB), New Delhi, as a research trainee. From IMRB, she moved to HTA (now JWT) in the strategic planning function where she rose to the position of senior vice-president and national planning director. At JWT, she worked on brands such as Horlicks and Maggi.

Sethi was instrumental in the creation of Thompson Social, JWT's social communications division, which redefined the role of communications in the adoption of new health practices among the rural and suburban populations.

From JWT, Sethi moved to Hindustan Lever (Unilever) as general marketing manager, innovation, on its hair care business in India and Thailand, in 2002. Sethi joined Grey India in 2009 as the national planning director. In May 2010, she was promoted as the chief strategy planning officer for Asia- Pacific.

Sethi has also won the WPP Atticus Award for original thinking, where she presented a paper on 'Understanding India through advertising'.