Suraja Kishore appointed as CEO of BBDO India

Prior to joining BBDO he was with McCann.

BBDO India has announced the appointment of Suraja Kishore as CEO. Most recently Suraja Kishore was EVP & General Manager at McCann Mumbai, and National Planning Head at Truth Central, McCann’s global thought leadership unit.

Suraja Kishore has been with McCann since 2013, initially joining the agency network as Executive Planning Director; soon after, he lead the McCann Mumbai office. Under his leadership McCann has built an enviable reputation, winning ‘Agency of the Year at the local Effie’s in 2018 & 2019, as well as numerous accolades at the APAC Effie’s and WARC awards.

Suraja Kishore

Prior to McCann, Suraja worked with Publicis Worldwide, Lowe Lintas and Mudra DDB. He has 21 years of rich experience developing creative strategies, building partnerships and establishing exciting approaches to developing campaigns.

Suraja's appointment is welcomed and celebrated by Jean Paul Burge, Chairman and CEO, BBDO Asia who said “We welcome Suraja Kishore to BBDO as we start a new chapter of great Indian creativity – BBDO India 2.0. This is what will make our clients’ businesses stronger as we continue to build BBDO India into one of the most influential agencies in the world. Suraja is all that we are looking for in a leader. His appreciation and passion for creative cultures will mesh well with our focus on The Work. The Work. The Work.”

Speaking about his appointment and new role, Suraja Kishore said, “What got me really excited about this role is that JP (Jean Paul Burge) and Josy were not trying to fill a particular position; they were looking for someone who can transform and grow BBDO India. I felt that the last ten years have been a great run for BBDO India, but what got us here won’t get us there. In fact, I believe it’s our focus on share of the future rather than just share of the market that will drive growth for clients and us. One of the most important ingredients for success is ‘chemistry between key stakeholders’ and that is what I discovered with JP and Josy. Shaping the future is very much like love; you have to have deep faith together to make it happen.”

Josy Paul, Chairman & CCO, BBDO India, said, “It has taken us more than nine months to find Suraja. In our journey to find a suitable partner, we met some outstanding candidates. With Suraja, it was love at first sight. When JP (Jean Paul Burge) and I first met Suraja, we knew he had the emotional energy and strategic depth that comes with great leadership. His clear vision about the future of brands and demand in an age of evolving media and tech interface is so attractive. It felt like he is not just a CEO, he is also our 'chief evolution officer'. I am delighted to welcome Suraja Kishore as CEO as we embrace this exciting change together."

Suraja’s role commenced Tuesday, 21st May 2019.