S Subramanyeswar takes over as CEO at MullenLowe Lintas, Amer Jaleel and Virat Tandon move on

MullenLowe Group has announced the elevation of S Subramanyeswar (Subbu), as group chief executive officer. He takes over from Virat Tandon who has stepped down from his role.

 

Furthermore, Amer Jaleel resigns from his post as chairman and group chief creative officer. 

 

According to sources, Jaleel and Tandon are taking the entrepreneurial route. Tandon has been with the agency since 2007 and had joined Lowe Lintas as senior vice president and business director. Jaleel has spent two decades with the agency, having joined in 2002.

 

In a strategic re-alignment from the previous model, all the functions of the group will now report to Subbu. He will continue to lead the strategy function for the group in India directly and maintain his role as chief strategy officer, MullenLowe APAC region.

 

Alex Leikikh, chairman, MullenLowe Group and executive vice president, Interpublic Group, said, “During these transformative times where we are all facing many challenges, I believe, there is no better person to lead MullenLowe Lintas Group than Subbu. He is a proven leader with hard-core strategic skills, business imagination and the ability to bring people together. Subbu has a global perspective on how brands, communication and technology will intersect in the future. He’s also a big believer in brand purpose. This combination is exactly what we need as the company enters the next chapter. As we move into this new era, I want to thank Amer Jaleel and Virat Tandon for their dedication, passion and leadership throughout the years for us and all of our clients. I wish them the best in their next endeavours.” 

 

Leikikh added, “Subbu is a genuine thought leader who is passionate, ambitious, analytical, creative, self-aware, and very humble. He leads with heart and soul and is someone whom we trust as CEO to bring value to our clients, employees, and communities.”

 

Subbu said, “Lintas is one of those extraordinary institutions to have truly impacted Indian society for decades through big, bold, culture-leading ideas based on a decisive stand taken by the brand. I couldn’t be more honoured to have been given the charge to lead the company at a very important time. The opportunity that lies ahead in an ever-expanding world of possibilities is limitless, but to seize it, we must focus precisely, move at a rapid pace, and be transformational. A big part of my job is to widen our creative and strategic aperture to innovatively apply technology and talent to solve new problems for clients, for people, and the world at large. I’m excited, grounded on the challenges, and upbeat, all at once.”

 

In a career spanning over 30 years, Tandon has also worked with Contract Advertising and Rediffusion DY&R, among others.