Ruma Sengupta to join MPG India as director, strategy

Earlier, Sengupta was director, business insights at Synovate. At MPG, she will report to Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media South Asia.

MPG, the flagship brand of Havas Media, will take on board Ruma Sengupta as director, strategy. Based in Mumbai, she will work closely with MPG's four key offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Sengupta will report to Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media South Asia. Her mandate will be to lead the agency's strategic offering and product development. She will also look after Havas Media's proprietary tools and processes.

Sengupta says, "I will work with different offices on the strategic offering for existing and new clients. My immediate goal is to deploy the proprietary tools and processes of the agency and, more importantly, imbibe the culture of innovation within the agency, which it is well known for. Given my past experience in marketing, sales and brand management, I know the MPG tools are hugely differentiated to help clients achieve the right marketing mix and generate desired impact, despite the high clutter in the market. These tools make strategy planning both easy and exciting."

In an official communiqué, Nayyar says, "Havas Media deals in strategic products and tools. Sengupta has the right credentials and attitude to take control of our strategic offering. Her flair is evident from her extraordinary background, having worked with top research agencies like Synovate and IMRB. Her previous experience in spearheading marketing and innovation capabilities with brands is a plus."

Sengupta joins the agency after a short stint with Synovate where she was director - business insights.

She graduated in English literature from Delhi University in 1996 and began her career with British High Commission as export promotion and programme manager in 1995. In 2000, she moved to ORG-MARG Research as national marketing manager. Later, in 2002, she joined Ranbaxy Global Consumer Healthcare as head, consumer insight (business strategy, innovation and NPD) and head, marketing sales, where she launched the OTC (over the counter) and DTC (direct to consumer) businesses.

Sengupta worked with Ranbaxy for five years and then moved to United Sports of the UB group in 2007. Subsequently, she joined Adlabs Films as head, marketing and sales in 2008. Later, she moved to IMRB International for a short stint and then joined Synovate.

For the records, MPG anchors Havas Media and provides media planning and buying, strategic consultancy, branded entertainment and interactive marketing services for a range of clients in various regions of the world.