Nirmalya Sen elevated as Managing Director of TBWA-India

TBWA\India has announced that Nirmalya Sen, currently COO - North, TBWA\India, is taking up a new pan-India role as Managing Director. Shiv Sethuraman, CEO, TBWA\India has confirmed the development. Sen resumes his new responsibilities from January 1, 2010. In another development, it is understood that Madan Mohan, COO -West, TBWA\India, has bid adieu to the agency.

Making the announcement, Shiv Sethuraman said, “Nirmalya is one of our most capable leaders. He has done a fantastic job in Delhi in terms of building the TBWA\India brand as well as partnering Anirban Sen to create a body of very, very good work. He is one of the rare people in the business who develop existing clients with as much facility as hunting for new business. In his new role, he will oversee the advertising agency nationally as well as drive our Disruption and Media Arts effort.”

Keith Smith, President, TBWA\ International, added here, “Nirmalya has been one of our key agents of growth over the past four years and we are glad that he is stepping up to this larger role to work alongside Shiv on national development. It is great to nurture our own best talent and see them grow as we develop in India.”

On his new role, Sen said, “It is a great honour to be asked to lead an advertising brand like TBWA in India. It is an equally significant challenge. In an industry that has largely got commoditised, TBWA is a brand acknowledged by its clients the world over for using disruptive thinking and creativity to create truly exciting brands that consumers want to connect with and be a part of. My priority will be to bring that brand alive for all our clients in India with Disruption, Media Arts, the unique TBWA creative culture and our fantastic talent pool.”

He further said, “We have made some impressive gains with brands such as Dabur, Maruti Suzuki, Visa, Nissan, Style Spa, Mail Today, V-Guard, etc., in 2009. The challenge is to convert these and other existing clients into clients besotted with us for what we can do for their brands, while continuing to win new brands.”

Sen had joined TBWA\India as VP, North in 2006. He was then responsible for the Delhi region. He had moved from Mudra Delhi, where he was Vice-President. He had worked on clients like Electrolux, Dabur, HBO, Hindustan Motors (Mitsubishi), and Philips Lighting while in Mudra.

In a span of two years, in 2008, Sen, along with Madan Mohan, were elevated from Senior Vice-President to the position of COO. Sen has 18 years’ of experience in the advertising industry and has earlier worked with Jenson & Nicholson, and agencies like Trikaya (now Grey India) and Saatchi & Saatchi. Some other key brands that he has worked on include Britannia Cheese, Tata Tea, Nestle (Cerelac and Milo), Arvind Mills, and Panasonic.

As for Mohan, it is yet not known where he is headed next. Prior to joining TBWA, Mohan was associated with Rediffusion Y&R as Vice-President. He has also worked with agencies like Ambience D’Arcy, (now Publicis Ambience) and Lowe Lintas.