Two big developments have taken place at FCB Group India, since Global CEO Tyler Turnbull's last visit to the country. The first one is the appointment of Dheeraj Sinha, who has won accolades for leading the business transformation across Leo Burnett, to the role of CEO of FCB India and South Asia. The second has been the departure of Swati Bhattacharya, the Group's most award-winning creative leader in India.
While Bhattacharya technically headed one agency of FCB Group India called FCB India, the industry has for years perceived her as Rohit Ohri's (Sinha's predecessor) creative partner at a Group level. So even as Sinha's appointment positively ushers in a future of technology at the FCB Group, which is largely known for its creative prowess in India, Bhattacharya's exit is being viewed as a significant loss to the network.
But philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Every wall is actually a door.” Turnbull certainly seems to concur. The Global CEO says, "I am incredibly proud of the agency that Rohit, Swati and our entire team built over the years. But I also believe that change is a positive thing, especially in our business and in our industry. Clients look for it and creativity thrives on it. And so, I could not be more excited that Dheeraj has chosen to join us. His first few months at FCB have been incredible and I know that he's going to build a phenomenal creative group and team, which can keep up the legacy that Swati, Rohit and many of our people created over time."
In fact, Dheeraj's first report card has straight 'A's in it. The India leader reveals that FCB in the country has managed to win as many as 20+ new clients in the first quarter of 2024 amounting to business worth USD 2.5 million-plus.
“When I look at our growth numbers in the last quarter, I feel we are on the right track, which is to solidify India’s position even more with regard to the importance at FCB globally and to create an abundance of great work.” Turnbull further says that currently, India is the second largest market for FCB globally after North America.
In an in-depth conversation with Neeta Nair, Editor of IMPACT Magazine, Tyler Turnbull and Dheeraj Sinha talk about the winds of change at FCB Group India, and what to expect in the coming year.