Leo Burnett's co-founder Brendan Conan Pereira passes away at 96

Brendan Conan Pereira, co-founder of Chaitra Advertising (now Leo Burnett), passed away at 96. A prominent figure in the advertising industry since the 1960s, Pereira was also an avid tennis and golf enthusiast.

Pereira played a significant role in launching Vimal, working closely with Dhirubhai Ambani. He is survived by his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Pereira’s career in advertising began in 1945 when he enrolled at the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, where he studied block-making, lithography, and photography. In 1949, he started his professional journey as an apprentice at L.A. Stronachs Advertising, before moving to D.J. Keymer (now O&M) as a visualizer and assistant to the art director.

In 1956, Pereira went to the UK for further education and experience, working as Art Director at Rapier Design and later at Baron Moss. He returned to India in 1960 to join Aiyars Advertising, where he worked on the Beechams account. Pereira spent a year in London with Beechams to understand their products and global marketing strategies. By 1961, he had returned to India as Aiyars' Creative Director and joined the board when Aiyars merged with LPE, London.

In March 1972, Pereira co-founded Chaitra Advertising (now Leo Burnett) with Walter Saldanha. He left Chaitra in 1983 to start his consultancy, GLIMA, and later supported the creation of Nova Advertising Palace.

Pereira served as President of the Communication Arts Guild (CAG), Mumbai, from 1976 to 1993 and was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 1993. In 2014, he was honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Cathedral of the Holy Name Archdiocese, Mumbai.

Although he retired in 2001, Pereira continued to be active in charity work for the church and various NGOs, leaving behind a legacy of creativity, mentorship, and community service.