J Walter Thompson India has appointed Varun Channa as the senior vice president and managing partner for JWT’s business unit, Power of One (PO1) that handles a large number of PepsiCo’s flagship brands. He replaces Babita Baruah who moves to another role within the group. Varun will be based in Gurgaon and will report to Tarun Rai, CEO J Walter Thompson South Asia.
Previously, as the managing director, at Mindshare, Kuala Lumpur, he was leading the transformation of the organization from being perceived as a ‘traditional media’ agency to being a tech and data savvy company. Prior to that, as marketing director at Danone India and South Asia, he worked on the market entry strategy for Danone in the dairy category for India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
Tarun Rai, CEO, J Walter Thompson South Asia said, “It’s great to have Varun return to advertising and to JWT with the experience that he has gained across marketing and media.” He added, “Babita has had a remarkable career with us. She has always led from the front and is a fantastic leader. I am extremely proud that she is moving on to another senior role within the group.”
Channa said, “I hope to bring my varied experience across markets and across functions to help make the PepsiCo brands and business stronger.”
