MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe-owned digital agency, Digitas India has announced the appointment of Sonia Khurana as chief operating officer. She joins the agency from Ogilvy India where she was senior vice-president and head of customer engagement. She will report to Digitas India CEO Amaresh Godbole.
Commenting on her appointment, Godbole said, “Digitas India has been on the fast track for the last decade, and today we’re 450 plus experts partnering top-notch clients. To keep up with this growth trajectory, we need more leaders who are adept at solving business problems through modern marketing practices. Sonia is just that, a true T-shaped personality who has run digital businesses as well as capabilities. Further, she understands how to tackle the challenges of integration. It’s what we need to drive our next phase of growth as the premier connected marketing agency, and as a partner in Publicis Groupe’s Power of One Solutions."
A marketing old hand with experience of over two decades in key roles across prominent agencies in the advertising industry, Khurana has been instrumental in shaping up business and strategy for the agencies and has handled clients across retail, hospitality, telecom, technology, automotive, travel & tourism, and more. Some of the clients include Aditya Birla Group, Vodafone, IBM, BMW, Microsoft, Nokia, and Diageo.
Much of her professional life has been spent at Ogilvy India where she worked for almost a decade in its Bengaluru and Mumbai offices. While at Ogilvy, she was instrumental in setting up OgilvyOne (the digital unit of Ogilvy) in Bengaluru. She also conceptualised and created India's first retail social CRM program for Elle Fashionwear. Prior to Ogilvy, she was at Wunderman International as the India Lead for Nokia.
On her new role Khurana said, “I'm very excited to be part of a young, energetic team whose focus is at the nexus of creativity, data, technology and media. My goal is to partner with the team to chart the agency's next chapter and make it the agency of choice for clients looking to take a leap in their digital journey. On my first day at work, I saw the Publicis Groupe's Power of One strategy in action. It made me realize that I haven't just joined the agency brand but that I am part of the enriching Groupe ecosystem committed to delivering truly integrated, client-focused solutions. Three weeks in and I can already see what makes this place so special."
