Arun Sharma joins Hakuhodo Percept as executive planning director

He was previously vice-president and head of strategic planning at DDB Mudra, Delhi.

In a move to strengthen its strategic planning function, Hakuhodo Percept has roped in Arun Sharma as executive planning director. Sharma will be based out of the agency's New Delhi office, and will report to Jayanto Banerjee, national planning head, Hakuhodo Percept.

Sharma has over 16 years of experience in advertising and marketing, and has worked across categories and businesses that include aviation, automobiles, banking and finance, confectionery, durables, FMCG, education, technology, and telecom.

His client roster includes Airtel, Cisco, Dabur, Danone, Del Monte, Huawei, Hyundai, Marico, Maruti Suzuki, Muthoot, NIIT, Red &White, SpiceJet Airlines, Spice Mobiles and Telecom, Samsung, Shell, SetWet, Whirlpool, Wrigley's, and Yamaha.

Confirming the appointment, Elvis Sequeira, COO, Hakuhodo Percept, says, "Sharma is a rare combination of passion, positivity, ideas and insights, qualities that we are always on the lookout for at Hakuhodo. Our aim is to become the strongest, strategic and creative agency in Delhi and in that aspect, I see our brands gain hugely from Sharma's collaborative approach."

Banerjee, who is happy to have Sharma on board says, "We are in the process of building a team of senior planners with complementary skills who can be hands-on on our key businesses and value add on a daily basis. Sharma's experience and approach towards planning will play an important role in the realisation of our agency's vision," he says.

Commenting on his appointment, Sharma, says, "There is this race and simultaneity of everything in our profession. The result, often in its obtuseness, is something we could call, 'brand pollution', and this is dangerous, even if it is not getting discussed at Paris right now. Our work needs to be the antidote to this pollution. I believe Hakuhodo, with its set of iconic global brands, will enable me to make a larger difference."

Sharma has worked with agencies like Contract, Lintas, Rediffusion and DDB Mudra. At DDB Mudra (Delhi), Sharma was vice-president and head of the strategic planning department.