RK Swamy BBDO has appointed Sanjay Dev Jena as Senior Partner to look after international business development efforts of the RK Swamy Hansa Group in the US and Europe. Jena has joined the group from BBDO, Berlin, where he was International Account Director looking after global business of Allianz Group in more than 40 countries.
This is a homecoming for Jena, who started his career with RK Swamy BBDO in 1990 and worked with the agency till 1996 before taking up various assignments in international markets. He set up Saatchi & Saatchi’s operations in Tanzania before moving to Europe as Regional Communications Director for Greenpeace Mediterranean, responsible for setting up communication departments in Turkey, Israel, Lebanon and Malta. His successful journey with Greenpeace ended in 2005, when he joined BBDO Berlin.
His new responsibilities include new business development and brand-building exercise for RK Swamy BBDO in India.
Commenting on his return to the organisation where he started his career from, Jena said, “For me it is back to the future. ‘Back’ because I had spent early years of my career with the agency and, ‘future’ because the RK Swamy Hansa Group is probably the only Indian advertising and marketing services Group looking out beyond the country with a powerful vision.”
“The current role is different from what one has been used to so far – a bigger playing field and intensely challenging. And working with Shekar is a pleasure. He is a man with a vision. A man who wakes up in Mumbai and smells the coffee in Brazil,” Jena added.
Shekar Swamy, Group CEO, RK Swamy Hansa said, “Now when we are looking to build our international business, Sanjay’s global experience will complement the Group’s strength in international markets. He will work closely with our team in the US and support their efforts.”