News

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.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Get the latest media and marketing industry news (and views) direct to your inbox.

Sign up to the free Mumbrella Asia newsletter now.

 

SUBSCRIBE

Sign up to our free daily update to get the latest in media and marketing