Sonal Dabral joins DDB Mudra as chairman and chief creative officer

DDB Mudra Group has announced the appointment of Sonal Dabral as the chairman and chief creative officer of the group. His last assignment was in a dual role, as the regional creative head and chairman -India of Bates operating out of Singapore and Mumbai. 

Commenting on the appointment, Madhukar Kamath, group chief executive officer and managing director, DDB Mudra Group, said, “As the  most awarded Indian agency at Cannes, Spikes, Abbys etc. to name a few, we are thrilled to welcome a truly exceptional talent, an excellent creative leader and a wonderful person like Sonal to the DDB Mudra Group. His mandate will encompass the entire spectrum of agencies that work across what is certainly the most integrated marketing and communications services network in the country. Agencies like DDB Mudra, Mudra, DDB Mudra Max ( OOH, Media, Experiential and Retail), Rapp, Tribal DDB, DDB Health & Lifestyle, Water, Maatra etc. which constitute the DDB Mudra Group will now have their creative teams reporting in to Sonal."

Kamath added, “I am personally thrilled to welcome Sonal Dabral. I have known him for two decades now. We worked together in Delhi years ago, on the iconic ‘Humko Binnies Mangta’ campaign. He will partner me on the exciting agenda that we have ahead of us for the DDB Mudra Group. The legendary Bernbach legacy, the much admired creative business solutions of the DDB Worldwide network, the Social Creativity agenda, the entrepreneurial zeal and track record of building several successful national brands that Mudra brings to the table, the extensive and certainly unique multi-faceted offerings in the DDB Mudra Group will all form an excellent platform for Sonal.”

Apart from partnering Kamath in India, Dabral has also been invited by Amir Kassei, global chief creative officer of DDB WW, to serve on the Global Creative Council of DDB. In the Asia-Pacific region, he will Co-Chair the Regional Creative Council with Kassei. 

A graduate of the National School of Design (NID), Dabral began his two decade long career in Lintas, Delhi. After a brief stint in Mudra Delhi, he joined Ogilvy Mumbai before moving to Kuala Lumpur to head Ogilvy in Malaysia. He then joined Ogilvy Singapore as chairman and executive creative director before heading to Bates.