Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari exits Leo Burnett

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, ECD, Leo Burnett, Mumbai, has put in her papers. She will exit the agency on 31 October to pursue her interest in film direction, she told Campaign India.

Confirming the development, KV Sridhar, CCO, India sub-continent, Leo Burnett, said, “She told me she wants to do direction and I couldn’t stop her. She has directed one short film, which won many awards. It’s a very beautiful film and I see her as good director. She will always be part of a Leo Burnett and she can come back whenever she wants. Ashwiny has been with Leo Burnett for more than 12 years now. She joined as trainee and became ECD. She has grown a lot and I am very happy that she is chasing her dream and going into direction. I wish her all the very best.”

The agency is expected to announce a replacement shortly.

Tiwari said, “I have had the best time of my life at Leo Burnett. I have grown a lot from trainee to ECD. Leo Burnett allowed me to grow, gave me a lot of creative independence. I have worked under the best people, both in the agency and on the client side. The creative independence to work on Sony opened me up to filmmaking, storytelling and relationships.”

She will now get into ad and feature film direction full time. Tiwari joined Leo Burnett as trainee in 2001. She moved to McCann Erickson in January 2004, before returning to the Leo Burnett fold a year later.