Arun Iyer, chairman and CCO - Lowe Lintas, steps down

Amer Jaleel appointed as group chairman and CCO while Virat Tandon elevated as the group CEO.

Arun Iyer has stepped down as the chairman and chief creative officer (CCO) of Lowe Lintas. Talking to afaqs!, Iyer confirmed that he has decided to move on from the agency after spending over 15 years to start his own venture.

As part of the newly-appointed leadership team, Amer Jaleel (chairman at Mullen Lintas) will now be appointed as group chairman and CCO, while Virat Tandon (chief executive officer, Mullen Lintas) will be elevated as the group CEO.

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Iyer also informed that he will continue to work as a full-time employee till January 2019. Post that he will continue to remain associated with the agency as a consultant till mid next year. The agency has planned a 12-month transition period, during which Iyer will continue to work for some key clients and help with succession planning.

Iyer is most likely to launch his new venture in June-July 2019.

Speaking about his decision to move on, Iyer says, “...Over the last few years, I have been passionate about start-ups, and have played a role in developing some strong brands such as Byju’s, Freecharge and Grofers. Going forward, I am planning to work more closely within the start-up eco-system.”

Jaleel adds, “Arun (Iyer) and I have been brothers-in-arms for over eight years now. We’ve been shouldering the equity and reputation of Lintas together, and that gives you a sort of a feeling of being in the same womb! Arun has, over the last three years, taken the spirit that Balki infused in Lowe Lintas to a different zone and moulded the agency in his own way. A large part of my job for MullenLowe Lintas Group will be to take that imprint forward.”

Jaleel and Tandon’s appointments take place with immediate effect. They are working on plans to transform MullenLowe Lintas Group in a few critical areas to remain the key agency partner for clients. In their new roles, the duo will lead the group mandate in India overseeing its three agencies - Lowe Lintas, Mullen Lintas and PointNine Lintas.

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Jaleel joined Lowe Lintas in 2002 and has held multiple creative leadership positions, including CCO, while Tandon joined the group in 2004, in New Delhi, and has since played various senior roles in the network in India and Singapore.

Speaking of the new group leadership, Alex Leikikh – global CEO MullenLowe Group, says, “A few years ago, we had asked Amer (Jaleel) and Virat (Tandon) to start our second agency in India - Mullen Lintas, and they have built it into a top 10 agency in the country in just two years. Amer has been a creative leader of our group in India for a very long time now, and Virat embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of the MullenLowe Group, and as such I am delighted to have them steer our overall business in India to even greater success.”