Raj Nayak re-elected as president of The Advertising Club

Nayak was elected as president of the club for the first time last year.

Members of The Advertising Club unanimously elected Raj Nayak, chief executive officer, Colors, as its president at the annual general meeting held in Mumbai today (September 16, 2016).

Nayak was elected as the president of the club for the first time last year (2015). He took over from Pratap Bose, who launched his own company The Social Street, of which he is the managing director and chairman.

Also elected were Vikram Sakhuja (Group chief executive officer, Media and OOH, Madison Communications) as vice-president, Ajay Kakar (chief marketing officer, financial services, Aditya Birla Group) as secretary, Bhaskar Das (Group chief executive officer, Zee Media Corporation) as joint secretary, Sashi Sinha (chief executive officer, IPG Mediabrands) as treasurer, and Ashish Sehgal, (chief operating officer, Zee Unimedia) as office bearer.

Other members elected to the managing committee are Mitrajit Bhattacharya (president and publisher, Chitralekha Group), Partha Sinha (vice-chairman and managing director, McCann Worldgroup), Pradeep Dwivedi (chief corporate sales and marketing officer, the Dainik Bhaskar Group, DB Corp), Ramesh Narayan (managing director, Canco Advertising), Vikas Khanchandani (chief business officer, Reliance Broadcast Network), and Viral Jani (head, TV partnerships, Twitter India).

Partho Dasgupta (chief executive officer, Broadcast Audience Research Council), Punitha Arumugam (director, agency business, India and South-East Asia, Google India), and Ajay Chandwani (director, Percept) were also co-opted into the managing committee.

Members who have been inducted as special invitees are Preeti Vyas (founder and chairwoman, Vyas Giannetti Creative), Namrata Tata (head of sales, Colors Infinity, VH1, and Comedy Central), Sapangeet Rajwant (head of marketing, Hindi mass entertainment, Viacom18), and Manish Bhatt (founder-director, Scarecrow Communications).

Commenting on his re-election as president, Nayak says, "I am honoured and humbled at the love bestowed upon me by the Industry. I hope to continue working even more vigorously to realise The Ad Club's agenda of acting as a catalyst in developing our vibrant and dynamic industry."

Nakul Chopra, chief executive officer South Asia, Publicis Worldwide and president, AAAI, says, "I am delighted that (Raj) Nayak has been elected president Ad Club for another term. He is a dear friend and a respected colleague who has always worked for the good of the Industry via various forums. I look forward to work closely with him to further the already strong relationship between The Ad Club and the AAAI."

Punit Goenka, managing director and chief executive officer, ZEEL, and president, IBF, says, "I am most certain that with his rich experience, acumen, and industry knowledge, Nayak will continue to take 'The Advertising Club' to greater heights. The very fact that he is re-elected, speaks abundantly about his contribution made to the Club and to the Industry. Over the last year, the Club has been a catalyst in developing the Industry, and with its interactive platforms and properties, has served as a brilliant platform for industry professionals to interact and exchange thoughts."

Srinivasan Swamy, chairman and managing director, R K Swamy BBDO, president IAA India Chapter and senior vice-president IAA Global, and newly appointed chairman of the ASCI, says, "I was delighted to hear that Nayak was re-elected to lead The Advertising Club. His passion and energy levels are infectious. He has brought in many senior names‎ to join the committee and I look forward to the next phase of accelerated growth for the Club under his stewardship."

Sam Balsara, chairman, Madison World, says, "I am delighted that Nayak has agreed to continue as The Ad Club president. This augurs well for the members of the advertising, media, and marketing community in general and members of The Ad Club in particular. He is everybody's favourite person and is uniquely positioned to discharge this onerous responsibility which he has kindly agreed to, despite his hectic work schedule."

CVL Srinivas, chief executive officer, GroupM, South Asia, says, "It's great news for the Industry that Nayak has been re-elected president of The Advertising Club. He brings a lot of style and substance to whatever he does. He has boundless energy, passion, and commitment. I wish him the very best and look forward to another great year with him at the helm of affairs."