MullenLowe India CEO Joseph George quits after 26 years
The chief executive of MullenLowe Lintas Group has left the agency after more than a quarter of a century.
Joseph George, who also held the role of regional president for the Indian network, will officially leave the agency at the end of September this year.
The group has not revealed where George will go beyond saying he “plans to pursue what he calls ‘his big dream’.” A replacement is also still to be announced.
George’s departure follows a period of leadership reshuffling at the agency. In March, the group became the first in Asia to unveil MullenLowe’s global ‘hyperbundled’ strategy.
At the same time, the group’s creative agency Lowe Lintas saw its chief creative officer Arun Iyer promoted to chairman, while the president and Mumbai office head Raj Gupta was named chief executive officer.
The move came nearly a year after the global merger of Lowe and Partners and Mullen – which created a 6,400-strong employee global group. Following the merger, the group began implementing Mullen’s ‘rebundling’ strategy – later repackaged as ‘hyper-bundling – in which people from different agencies within the group are asked to work on a brief.
George first joined Lintas India in 1991 and has held a number of brand management, client management and leadership roles over the years. He was appointed India CEO in 2011 and took on the additional responsibility of running the South Asia and South East Asia region for MullenLowe Group in 2016.
He said: “MullenLowe Lintas Group in India today is in the best shape it’s been in for a very long time. I couldn’t be moving on at a better time, and any happier or prouder with what the 1000 of us have managed to achieve these past years.
“Alex [Leikikh, MullenLowe Group global CEO] and I have worked closely over the past eight months on the transition plan; and with the road map and the leadership in place for all three agencies of MullenLowe Lintas Group, I am confident that our agency network in India is ready to author its next chapter of success.”
Leikikh added: “Joe has made such a huge contribution to the MullenLowe Group network during his 26 years within the organisation that it really is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to him. During his recent tenure, Joe has led MullenLowe Lintas Group to huge success within India, across the APAC region and on a global stage.”
First it was Dentsu’s India superstar (Rohit Ohri) who failed to make it as a regional head in Singapore. Now, it’s this guy. Mullen Lowe’s biggest problem may be a somewhat disproportionate subcontinental presence in a regional HQ that boasts a high level of diversity in most network agencies. Bring in more Latinos, Swedes, Japanese, Kiwis. Spice up the melting pot or every single piece of “real” work is going to resemble rehashed Unilever work from New Delhi, Mumbai or Bangalore.
Reply“….a somewhat disproportionate subcontinental presence….”
LOL
Have you been to grey singapore?
ReplyA mix of three things. A secure cocoon, affordable salaries, and also the cultural aspect of rewarding native cronies with overseas placements in attractive destinations like Singapore. I mean, you can’t really justify such an overwhelming subcon presence in Lowe, Grey and DDB with a meritocratic defence. No way anyone’s going to believe that the best agency talent in the world is subcon.
ReplyMight also have to do with a greatly increased subcontinental influence on the client side. Ownself deal with ownself?
ReplyThis Joseph guy’s regional move here also triggered a migration of other (loyal? rewarded?) comforters from Bangkok and KL to Singapore, and the office suddenly feels (for want of a better word) invaded. Fancy titles too, but apparently that’s the norm in native parts. Was shocked to hear of the number of rungs in their corporate ladder. SVPs galore, with “Global” thrown in for good measure. CFO reassures. Says it’s all good. These guys are happy to sacrifice the money and real global growth, as long as their titles keep acquiring more verbal heft. Strange. Smell a… rat.
ReplyHaha. Give the poor chaps a break. Coming in from satellite offices in Bangkok or KL, Singapore can be quite daunting. Generally, subcons can be quite affable, and are always eager to please their colleagues in regional capitals. Though they do have this strange habit of laughing at their own jokes, before the rest of us have even had the time to get it.
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