Judges Category: South Asia

Pankaj is a versatile marketing leader with a proven track record of 20+ years in delivering growth across FMCG, Fashion Retail, E-Commerce and Consumer Durables.

He currently heads Marketing for the iconic Marks & Spencer brand in India. In his previous stints with Kraft Heinz and Philips Electronics, he has worked on more than 15 local and global brands in India & South-East Asia.

During his career, he has successfully launched new brands & channels, consolidated brand leadership, strengthened challenger brands, grown niche brands & turned around struggling ones.

Besides marketing, he is passionate about photography, chess, reading and travelling.

With over 12 years of well-rounded experience in digital marketing, data analytics & marketing technology – across multiple industries and organisations.

Believer in impactful innovations in digital marketing, data driven operating models & insights, neuromarketing and blockchain.

Quote: With the landscape of marketing changing, looking to see entries that are innovate the status quo.

Priyanka is a digital, communication and media professional, with a track record of driving numerous impact initiatives in her career that spans over 20 years. She has extensive experience across consumer-packaged goods (CPG) as well as media and marketing companies and currently heads Brand experience, Media, E-Commerce marketing, and Digital Transformation for all categories at Colgate-Palmolive, India’s Most Trusted Brand.

Priyanka is credited with leading Colgate’s Digital Transformation – which included driving exponential growth in Colgate’s e-commerce business by leading performance marketing and comprehensive end-to-end communication, orchestrating the launch of the company’s largest Global CRM program and enhancing consumer engagement, bringing in specialist agencies to expedite digital transformation to name a few. On the advertising & media front, she has led Colgate’s most successful campaigns over the years.

Priyanka’s key superpower is her ability to bring together creativity, data-driven insights, cutting-edge digital strategies and high-judgement to deliver impactful results for brands.

Quote: Delighted to be on the jury for the Campaign Asia Awards! Looking forward to reviewing some compelling nominations and engaging in thought-provoking discussions with the esteemed panel.

Rajat Abbi has 18 years of cross-industry experience. A thought leader and a strategic marketing expert, he has handled diverse leadership roles in Marketing & Strategy, Sales and P&L Management with European, American, and Indian multi-national companies across India & Asia Pacific region.

Rajat joins Schneider Electric as the Vice President – Global marketing, Greater India, this year, and is entrusted with running the marketing function for the company, thereby, driving brand, digital & commercial excellence and helping the organization achieve its growth ambitions.

He will be a part of the Schneider Electric Global Marketing International Operations Leadership team, Schneider Electric India Management team and Schneider Electric India Private Limited (SEIPL) Leadership Council.

Starting his career with Apollo Tyres, Rajat has worked across B2C & B2B businesses in companies like Valvoline International, Philips Lighting & Carrier Air-conditioning.

Rajat holds a master’s degree in Marketing, Finance & Economics from the University of Delhi, India.

Quote: As a Jury member of the Agency of the Year Awards 2023, I will be looking for entries that are creative, innovative and have an underlying message of sustainability with the potential to drive change. To earn your spot in the winner’s circle, your submission must effortlessly weave together strategic brilliance, flawless execution, and undeniable results. My advice to entrants is to present their unique approach with clarity, emphasize tangible outcomes, and embrace bold ideas.

Getting recognized for your work holds immense significance as it not only acknowledges exceptional talent but also provides a platform for industry-wide recognition, fostering growth and facilitating collaboration.

Seize the opportunity, unleash your creativity, and let your work shine among industry leaders!

Ritu currently heads Marketing and Digital at Bayer Consumer Health Division in India. A transformative, consumer-centric brand builder, she has a track record to deliver consistent double-digit growth across diverse businesses in FMCG, Consumer Health and Tech over close to two decades.

She joined Bayer India in June 2020 as one of early-stage members while the new Consumer Health division was being formed. She played a critical role in defining the vision and shaping the business model for the newly launched division, while setting up the marketing and digital function for the business. Ritu firmly believes that the combination of creativity, digital and technology can transform everyday health in India, and she is passionate about making this a reality. Working with a truly digital-first mindset she has transformed conversations on multiple health care brands like Vicks and Saridon via unique and engaging storytelling formats.

Throughout her career, Ritu has worked closely on developing business and brand growth strategies, new product launches, expansions, and other projects for multiple global and regional brands. Prior to joining Bayer, Ritu spent 11 years at Procter & Gamble, where she led marketing for the personal healthcare category. During her tenure, Ritu won multiple awards, including the prestigious Cannes for two consecutive years for ‘Vicks TouchofCare’. She successfully managed diverse commercial teams across marquee brands like Vicks, Oral-B, and Tide delivering marketing ops and innovations.

An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and a gold medalist from Delhi College of Engineering, she is a passionate and courageous leader, who consistently motivates her teams to dream big, innovate relentlessly and execute with excellence keeping consumers at the heart of everything they do.

Quote: Embrace the challenge, ignite your innovation, and let your creativity inspire the industry. Leave a legacy that echoes through time, making an impact that lasts far beyond the awards. Your extraordinary work has the power to shape the future. All the best to all entrants!

With over 18 years leading brand marketing efforts at some of the finest and diverse corporate firms, Ruchika Gupta currently is Director – Marketing at premium spirits major Beam Suntory India. Early on, Ruchika led strategic thinking for world class brands like Uber India, Bacardi Rums, Grey Goose Vodka, and earlier supported as agency brands from house of Unilever and Johnson & Johnson. A consumer behavior and lifestyle expert, Ruchika is driving strategic brand thinking and premiumization for the internationally renowned & revered portfolio of Beam Suntory in India which includes Laphroaig Single Malt, Roku Craft Gin, Toki Suntory Whisky, Jim Beam Bourbon, Teacher’s Scotch among others.

Quote: Campaign Asia-pacific AOY shine light on extraordinary resilience and achievements of advertising and marketing firms, as well as their talents – in times that require celebration of impermanence and transformation. Living out consistently the buzzwords is what we as jury would be looking for this year – disruption, tech thought leadership, memory structures in sharply declining attention spans, culture participation & shaping, not to forget an intent and attempt at sustainability.

Ruchika Varma is the Chief Marketing Officer of Future Generali India Insurance Limited and has been associated with leading Indian and international brands for over 20 years across multiple sectors. Currently, Ruchika leads brand & marketing communications, digital assets & capabilities, product innovation, digital acquisition and CSR. A result-oriented marketing strategist, a thought leader in Marketing and the recipient of multiple accolades for her work, including WARC International Awards, Marketing Effectiveness Awards (The Effies), Singapore Hall of Fame, etc., she has also been honoured as Asia’s Finest Insurance Leader in Marketing in 2020, and Global Woman of Worth in 2021.

Sasith heads the Marketing function at AIA Insurance Sri Lanka operation and is responsible for providing strategic leadership for brand and communications, products and propositions, customer, research, channel marketing and community engagement. He is a proven marketing leader with over 15 years of experience in marketing communications, strategic planning and operations leadership who had spearheaded some notable and award-winning campaigns backed by disruptive innovation in the local insurance industry. With an appetite for creativity, empathy lead innovation and transformation, he holds a proven track record of building brands while aligning marketing activities to amplify sales capabilities.

Marketing Professional with a wide gamut of experience of leading portfolios across Food/Home/Health&Wellness/Personal Care categories adding to over 17 Years of experience in FMCG/OTC Marketing and sales. An alumnus of XLRI, Jamshedpur, and with successful stints across leading companies like Reckitt Benckiser, Britannia, and Zydus Wellness and Cipla Health.

Saumil has 18 years of Corporate Journey – from Junior Managerial Levels to General Management Levels. The journey included working with the most iconic Global & Indian Brands / Organizations like PepsiCo, Samsung, Pidilite, Crompton Greaves, Kraft Heinz which led him to his current assignment at Jubilant FoodWorks Bangladesh Ltd (100% Subsidiary of Jubilant Foodworks Ltd (India) – the largest QSR Company in India). This makes Saumil experienced in multiple Consumer Product Categories in the world like Food, Beverage, Building Material, Consumer Electricals, Consumer Electronics, Mobile Phones & QSRs.

Saumil has been able to work on key assignments of operational mergers of acquired companies with parent company, setting – up a new business in a profitable manner, scaling up a sub-scale business & turning around sub-optimal / loss-making businesses. The same has got him various awards within these iconic organizations.

Being in general management assignments for more than half-a-decade, Saumil has been able to acquire entire gamut of cross-functional skills that makes him a 360-Degree business leader in the region.

Quote: I am a jury at Campaign APAC’s AOY 2023. Looking forward to immerse in the stellar work done by creative minds of the region in the field of advertising & marcom.