VML has announced the appointment of Babita Baruah as chief executive officer of India. As per VML, the appointment will be effective from March 1, 2024.With a career spanning 25 years in marketing and advertising, Baruah joins VML India from a dual role working across WPP’s Ford International Market Group as regional client lead and executive director at VMLY&R Thailand.
Additionally, Saurabh Saksena has been elevated into the role of president.
Talking about the appointment, Audrey Kuah, co-CEO, VML APAC, said, “Babita is no stranger to India, and we welcome her home as the new VML India CEO. With her vast experience in delivering innovation and growth for clients and a passion for building a high empathy and performance culture, I look forward to working with Babita to take our India business, already one of the strongest in the region, to new heights in 2024.”
Moreover, Baruah’s journey began at JWT/Wunderman Thompson India, where she spent two decades leading global and local brands such as PepsiCo, Unilever, Nestlé, Kellogg’s, Godrej, Kotak Mahindra, Reliance and Aditya Birla. In 2017, Baruah joined the GTB business in India as managing partner and moved to Bangkok in 2021 in a dual capacity role as WPP Lead for the Ford business across India, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, the Middle East, and South Africa, and executive director, VMLY&R Thailand.
“It’s an honour to lead a market like India for VML. I look forward to working closely with Audrey, Yi-Chung, Saurabh, and the whole team in India to make sure that we connect creativity, experience, data and technology, to be the preferred destination for India’s ambitious brands and talented individuals,” Baruah commented.
Saksena, who has been elevated into the role of president of VML’s India operations, will partner with Baruah on the leadership of the agency. Over the past 30 years, Saksena has delivered business growth, managed change and transition, and built deep internal capabilities across the five agencies including a decade at Wunderman Thompson and most recently VMLY&R. Over the years, he has worked with brands in diverse categories such as CPG, retail, finance, technology, automotive, e-commerce and QSRs.
“I’m very excited to continue this journey of building a strong and successful VML with Babita by orchestrating innovative growth solutions for our clients that sit at the intersection of creativity, experience, data and technology,” Saksena added.