Suresh Balakrishna steps into an extended role as CEO, Lintas Initiative Outdoor

Based in Mumbai, Balakrishna will now head BPN as well as Lintas Initiative Outdoor and handle the out of home business for the agency across the country.

Suresh Balakrishna, CEO of Brand Programming Network (BPN), the third agency under IPG Mediabrands, has now been given additional responsibilities to head Lintas Initiative Outdoor as CEO.

Based in Mumbai, Balakrishna will now head BPN as well as Lintas Initiative Outdoor and handle the out of home business for the agency across the country. "I will look at the outdoor requirements of the clients and satisfy their needs, pitch for new business and also focus on growing the out of home business across the country," comments Balakrishna on his added responsibilities.

Balakrishna, a media veteran with more than 25 years of experience, was taken on board as CEO, BPN in July, 2012 when the new full service media agency was launched in India. This was his second stint with the agency; earlier, he was executive vice-president and general manager of Initiative Media.

He has also worked for The Hindustan Times and Zee Entertainment Enterprises (ZEEL) as executive vice-president, marketing. He moved to DNA when ZEEL collaborated with the Bhaskar Group to launch DNA. He has also worked for Mail Today as chief operating officer and quit the organisation in 2011.

For the record, Lintas Initiative Outdoor handles outdoor businesses of several well known brands that include Nokia, Hindustan Unilever, Union Bank of India, The Coca-Cola Company, Tata Consultancy Services, Expedia, Citibank and Monte Carlo, among others.