MUMBAI: Next by Rediffusion has roped in Asheesh Malhotra as its executive director. Asheesh joins the Rediffusion group from Dentsu. The launch of Next was announced by Rediffusion on 15 August.
With over 25 years of experience in the advertising industry, Asheesh has worked in leadership roles at Dentsu, Ogilvy, Lowe and Bates. He has straddled strategy and business functions on global & local businesses alike. He helped launch India's first private life insurance company, ICICI Pru. He led global business hubs for Castrol and BP across Europe, Asia and also the business of Unilever beverages.
Asheesh has over the years won the prestigious Effie awards for Unilever, ICICI Pru, Mondelez in India and APAC regions. He has also worked on the launch of Royal Enfield Meteor and Classic and Malabar Gold’s Brides Of India campaigns.
Additionally, he teaches marketing and advertising students at institutes like SP Jain and Northpoint Center of Learning. He is also on the advisory councils of a couple of universities, and an active member of Intach.
Asheesh did his schooling at St Edwards in Shimla and went on to pursue his higher studies at Delhi University. Thereafter, he attended the New York Film Academy and studied film and content development. Asheesh is also a certified apple orchardist having grown up in the pristine Kullu valley.
Welcoming Asheesh Malhotra to Next by Rediffusion, Rediffusion group managing director Dr Sandeep Goyal said, “In Asheesh, we have a true blue-blooded professional who has worked across categories, domains, brands and geographies. I have personally worked with him during his earlier stint at Rediffusion when he was handling the Taj hotels business nearly 20 years ago. We again worked together when he led the Toyota business in Bangalore at Dentsu. Asheesh is client-focused, strategically strong and very good with creative teams. The assignment at Next by Rediffusion is just right for him – a combination of innovation and experience”.
“This is my second innings at Rediffusion. I love the easy informality at the agency. Also, the wide canvas afforded everyone to do their best. Next by Rediffusion is a rare opportunity for me to create a completely new metaphor in advertising and communication. All soonicorns and unicorns, despite their size and apparent success, need a lot of help with brand building and ideation. We will do just that at Next by Rediffusion”, added Asheesh Malhotra.
Asheesh Malhotra will be based in Mumbai. Next Rediffusion aims to have offices pan-India in the next 18-24 months.
