Dirk Lewis
Director, Corporate Communications and ORM at Tata Digital- Claim this Profile
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English -
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Hindi -
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Marathi -
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French Elementary proficiency
Topline Score
Bio
Gowthami Kode
An individual with wide knowledge, and a strategic thinking. It was a great learning experience working under Dirk. Commendable of how quite seamlessly he managed clients requirements & be an understanding boss at the same time. He really helped me challenge myself & give my best on all my mandates. Thank you for looking through me & trusting me with some important projects. One of the best attributes about Dirk is he always prirotises his team. Given a chance, I would definitely love to work with Dirk in the future.
Anindita Sarkar
Working with Dirk has been an adventure and a challenge. Adventure, because there was much to learn and challenge, because he always made you question and strive for your best output. We have both worked on a couple of projects, which resulted in winning some good client metrics. He's full of ideas and his support, energy & enthusiasm makes him a good lead and a superb team player. Here's wishing him bigger milestones in all his future endeavours!
Gowthami Kode
An individual with wide knowledge, and a strategic thinking. It was a great learning experience working under Dirk. Commendable of how quite seamlessly he managed clients requirements & be an understanding boss at the same time. He really helped me challenge myself & give my best on all my mandates. Thank you for looking through me & trusting me with some important projects. One of the best attributes about Dirk is he always prirotises his team. Given a chance, I would definitely love to work with Dirk in the future.
Anindita Sarkar
Working with Dirk has been an adventure and a challenge. Adventure, because there was much to learn and challenge, because he always made you question and strive for your best output. We have both worked on a couple of projects, which resulted in winning some good client metrics. He's full of ideas and his support, energy & enthusiasm makes him a good lead and a superb team player. Here's wishing him bigger milestones in all his future endeavours!
Gowthami Kode
An individual with wide knowledge, and a strategic thinking. It was a great learning experience working under Dirk. Commendable of how quite seamlessly he managed clients requirements & be an understanding boss at the same time. He really helped me challenge myself & give my best on all my mandates. Thank you for looking through me & trusting me with some important projects. One of the best attributes about Dirk is he always prirotises his team. Given a chance, I would definitely love to work with Dirk in the future.
Anindita Sarkar
Working with Dirk has been an adventure and a challenge. Adventure, because there was much to learn and challenge, because he always made you question and strive for your best output. We have both worked on a couple of projects, which resulted in winning some good client metrics. He's full of ideas and his support, energy & enthusiasm makes him a good lead and a superb team player. Here's wishing him bigger milestones in all his future endeavours!
Gowthami Kode
An individual with wide knowledge, and a strategic thinking. It was a great learning experience working under Dirk. Commendable of how quite seamlessly he managed clients requirements & be an understanding boss at the same time. He really helped me challenge myself & give my best on all my mandates. Thank you for looking through me & trusting me with some important projects. One of the best attributes about Dirk is he always prirotises his team. Given a chance, I would definitely love to work with Dirk in the future.
Anindita Sarkar
Working with Dirk has been an adventure and a challenge. Adventure, because there was much to learn and challenge, because he always made you question and strive for your best output. We have both worked on a couple of projects, which resulted in winning some good client metrics. He's full of ideas and his support, energy & enthusiasm makes him a good lead and a superb team player. Here's wishing him bigger milestones in all his future endeavours!
Credentials
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Duolingo French Fluency: Elementary (Estimated)
DuolingoOct, 2015- Nov, 2024
Experience
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Tata Digital
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India
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Technology, Information and Internet
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700 & Above Employee
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Director, Corporate Communications and ORM
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Nov 2021 - Present
Primarily responsible for corporate communications, viz. public relations, internal communications, LinkedIn and ORM. Primarily responsible for corporate communications, viz. public relations, internal communications, LinkedIn and ORM.
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MSLGROUP India
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India
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Public Relations and Communications Services
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300 - 400 Employee
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Group Head
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Jul 2018 - Aug 2021
Clients: Skit (erstwhile Vernacular.ai), AWS, HARMAN, FireEye, Riverbed, First Advantage, Robert Bosch Engineering, Caspian Debt, SkinKraft, OLA, Epson, Capgemini Engineering Key Responsibilities Contributing to the overall business targets of the Bangalore office Managing a very lean team while maintaining healthy margins and supporting client-business objectives Low attrition of under 10%, against an industry average of around 30% Ensuring teams upskill and develop a… Show more Clients: Skit (erstwhile Vernacular.ai), AWS, HARMAN, FireEye, Riverbed, First Advantage, Robert Bosch Engineering, Caspian Debt, SkinKraft, OLA, Epson, Capgemini Engineering Key Responsibilities Contributing to the overall business targets of the Bangalore office Managing a very lean team while maintaining healthy margins and supporting client-business objectives Low attrition of under 10%, against an industry average of around 30% Ensuring teams upskill and develop a performance-led sense of belonging aided by a personalized development plan Counsel clients on strategic decisions and communications strategy, including crisis preparedness and planning Ensuring regular and relevant client-media networking and conversations Key Achievements Led charge for a successful AWS Mumbai Summit in 2019. We were able to garner interest from 16 media, who did 36 interviews over two days, delivering 18 unique stories, and over 170 pieces of coverage covering 7 AWS executives, six customers and six partners Drove a news-cycle based approach for clients, where proactive news was missing, ensuring they stayed relevant in the media Responsible for winning the Vernacular.ai mandate, and in only four months of working with them, our efforts were able to start generating leads for the company from large enterprises in India Brand building for HARMAN in India, especially brands JBL and Harman Kardon, establishing an advantage over the competition Ensuring FireEye is viewed as an authority on cybersecurity in the Indian subcontinent, an essential market for the company Leading conversations for OLA with its customers and employees through the strategic use of traditional media Showcasing Bosch’s R&D efforts in India and how the Indian arm is contributing to innovation on a global scale Contributed to the Bangalore team winning “Office of the year” across MSL India in 2021 Show less Clients: Skit (erstwhile Vernacular.ai), AWS, HARMAN, FireEye, Riverbed, First Advantage, Robert Bosch Engineering, Caspian Debt, SkinKraft, OLA, Epson, Capgemini Engineering Key Responsibilities Contributing to the overall business targets of the Bangalore office Managing a very lean team while maintaining healthy margins and supporting client-business objectives Low attrition of under 10%, against an industry average of around 30% Ensuring teams upskill and develop a… Show more Clients: Skit (erstwhile Vernacular.ai), AWS, HARMAN, FireEye, Riverbed, First Advantage, Robert Bosch Engineering, Caspian Debt, SkinKraft, OLA, Epson, Capgemini Engineering Key Responsibilities Contributing to the overall business targets of the Bangalore office Managing a very lean team while maintaining healthy margins and supporting client-business objectives Low attrition of under 10%, against an industry average of around 30% Ensuring teams upskill and develop a performance-led sense of belonging aided by a personalized development plan Counsel clients on strategic decisions and communications strategy, including crisis preparedness and planning Ensuring regular and relevant client-media networking and conversations Key Achievements Led charge for a successful AWS Mumbai Summit in 2019. We were able to garner interest from 16 media, who did 36 interviews over two days, delivering 18 unique stories, and over 170 pieces of coverage covering 7 AWS executives, six customers and six partners Drove a news-cycle based approach for clients, where proactive news was missing, ensuring they stayed relevant in the media Responsible for winning the Vernacular.ai mandate, and in only four months of working with them, our efforts were able to start generating leads for the company from large enterprises in India Brand building for HARMAN in India, especially brands JBL and Harman Kardon, establishing an advantage over the competition Ensuring FireEye is viewed as an authority on cybersecurity in the Indian subcontinent, an essential market for the company Leading conversations for OLA with its customers and employees through the strategic use of traditional media Showcasing Bosch’s R&D efforts in India and how the Indian arm is contributing to innovation on a global scale Contributed to the Bangalore team winning “Office of the year” across MSL India in 2021 Show less
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Text100
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United States
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Advertising Services
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100 - 200 Employee
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Principal Consultant
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Apr 2017 - Jun 2018
Clients: Tech Mahindra, NetApp, GO-JEK, Digital Ocean, IESA and projects with NUMA Bengaluru, 3i Infotech Key Achievements Realigned the account team to deliver better PR results for Tech Mahindra Supported NetApp in its journey to move up from #31 to #7 in India’s Great Places To Work in under 1 year Helped GO-JEK achieve its primary objective of hiring the best engineers in India Clients: Tech Mahindra, NetApp, GO-JEK, Digital Ocean, IESA and projects with NUMA Bengaluru, 3i Infotech Key Achievements Realigned the account team to deliver better PR results for Tech Mahindra Supported NetApp in its journey to move up from #31 to #7 in India’s Great Places To Work in under 1 year Helped GO-JEK achieve its primary objective of hiring the best engineers in India
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Dirk Da Dhobi
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Consumer Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Co-founder "Washpreneur"
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Apr 2015 - Apr 2017
As a founder, I set up the company, formulated strategy, and led sales and marketing for OnDemand HomeCare (Dirk Da Dhobi) Key Achievements Shortlisted for the NASSCOM 10000 startup program in India. Set up an exceptional backend ecosystem with a turnaround time of just 48-72 hours. Serviced over 7500 customers in 2 years, and close to 100,000 premium garments. Established DDD as the official laundry partner for large residential societies like Purva Fountain Square, Raheja… Show more As a founder, I set up the company, formulated strategy, and led sales and marketing for OnDemand HomeCare (Dirk Da Dhobi) Key Achievements Shortlisted for the NASSCOM 10000 startup program in India. Set up an exceptional backend ecosystem with a turnaround time of just 48-72 hours. Serviced over 7500 customers in 2 years, and close to 100,000 premium garments. Established DDD as the official laundry partner for large residential societies like Purva Fountain Square, Raheja Pebble Bay, Godrej Woodman’s Estate, Purva Belmont, Trinity Acres & Woods and Mantri Paradise. Established priority partnerships with UrbanClap, TimeSaverz and Apartment Adda. Built the hybrid (offline and online business of the company) and grew the bootstrapped company to profitability in under 18 months. Show less As a founder, I set up the company, formulated strategy, and led sales and marketing for OnDemand HomeCare (Dirk Da Dhobi) Key Achievements Shortlisted for the NASSCOM 10000 startup program in India. Set up an exceptional backend ecosystem with a turnaround time of just 48-72 hours. Serviced over 7500 customers in 2 years, and close to 100,000 premium garments. Established DDD as the official laundry partner for large residential societies like Purva Fountain Square, Raheja… Show more As a founder, I set up the company, formulated strategy, and led sales and marketing for OnDemand HomeCare (Dirk Da Dhobi) Key Achievements Shortlisted for the NASSCOM 10000 startup program in India. Set up an exceptional backend ecosystem with a turnaround time of just 48-72 hours. Serviced over 7500 customers in 2 years, and close to 100,000 premium garments. Established DDD as the official laundry partner for large residential societies like Purva Fountain Square, Raheja Pebble Bay, Godrej Woodman’s Estate, Purva Belmont, Trinity Acres & Woods and Mantri Paradise. Established priority partnerships with UrbanClap, TimeSaverz and Apartment Adda. Built the hybrid (offline and online business of the company) and grew the bootstrapped company to profitability in under 18 months. Show less
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Langoor Spins
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Bangalore
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CEO
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Apr 2015 - Mar 2016
As CEO, I was directly responsible for driving revenue growth, customer retention, building the team and strategic counsel. Key Achievements Grew revenues and made vital hires early on to grow the business. Sustained retainers and supported early-stage Fintech startups; viz. Capital Float and Innoviti. Successfully won international PR projects like Australia India Youth Dialogue. As CEO, I was directly responsible for driving revenue growth, customer retention, building the team and strategic counsel. Key Achievements Grew revenues and made vital hires early on to grow the business. Sustained retainers and supported early-stage Fintech startups; viz. Capital Float and Innoviti. Successfully won international PR projects like Australia India Youth Dialogue.
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VLtra Ideas
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Bangalore, India
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Proprietor
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Dec 2014 - Apr 2015
VLtra Ideas was a boutique consulting business that I ran for a short period, where I delivered internal communications and employee branding initiatives to a few start ups including Digital Marketing firm Langoor. Our main objective was communicating to connect VLtra Ideas was a boutique consulting business that I ran for a short period, where I delivered internal communications and employee branding initiatives to a few start ups including Digital Marketing firm Langoor. Our main objective was communicating to connect
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Wipro
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India
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IT Services and IT Consulting
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700 & Above Employee
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Global Marketing Manager for Wipro's Energy and Natural Resources Verticals
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Jan 2014 - Dec 2014
Key Responsibilities: Driving strategic marketing programs aligned to the global business objectives of the Oil & Gas and Natural Resources businesses Charter included Public Relations (trade media) with a focus on Social Media Presence, Analyst Relations, Thought Leadership and Content Marketing, Executive Connect, Digital Marketing, Branding, and Account-based Marketing Key Achievements Grew the relationship and thereby business at 2 of the largest accounts for the O&G… Show more Key Responsibilities: Driving strategic marketing programs aligned to the global business objectives of the Oil & Gas and Natural Resources businesses Charter included Public Relations (trade media) with a focus on Social Media Presence, Analyst Relations, Thought Leadership and Content Marketing, Executive Connect, Digital Marketing, Branding, and Account-based Marketing Key Achievements Grew the relationship and thereby business at 2 of the largest accounts for the O&G business Part of team that contributed to Wipro’s largest CAD 1.2 bn dollar deal from Canadian ATCO Helped set up new processes to ensure collaboration between sales and pre-sales to enhance client engagement Critical initiatives like industry journals & thought leadership for the O&G and Mining Groups and standardization of all branding and external communication, including in collaboration with research organizations like Forrester
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Global Public Relations Lead
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Nov 2010 - Jan 2014
Key Responsibilities The global mandate for Wipro Technologies’ Public Relations with a specific focus on the US, UK and India Executive Connect – leadership profiling in Tier I publications globally Crisis communications – planning and preparedness Global agency and internal team management – including resource planning Budget management for the function – planning and optimization Creating a close to 24x7 PR support function with agency support in key markets Key… Show more Key Responsibilities The global mandate for Wipro Technologies’ Public Relations with a specific focus on the US, UK and India Executive Connect – leadership profiling in Tier I publications globally Crisis communications – planning and preparedness Global agency and internal team management – including resource planning Budget management for the function – planning and optimization Creating a close to 24x7 PR support function with agency support in key markets Key Achievements Change management communication; around the leadership change and organizational restructuring throughout the year, including highlighting strong HR practices and corporate governance Successfully planned and managed interview for the Chairman and CEO at the World Economic Forum (WEF) - Davos for three years in a row with achieving a total of 35 Tier I interviews with a 70 per cent conversion rate Hired and inducted a new Global PR agency for Wipro, viz. H+K Strategies – ensuring consistent deliverables through regular engagement and reporting Achieved a 10 per cent Y-O-Y increase in international trade media coverage Special projects – Business Today Cover Story (January 2012), The Sunday Telegraph full-page feature (Mr Azim Premji), first press interviews (in India) for Rishad Premji, then CSO, Wipro Technologies, SAIC Oil and Gas acquisition announcement
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FleishmanHillard
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United States
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Public Relations and Communications Services
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700 & Above Employee
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Senior Account Manager
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Sep 2009 - Nov 2010
Clients: Nokia, British Airways, AT&T Key Achievements Successful launch of the Nokia N8 in India Successfully managing crisis communications for British Airways (Cabin Crew Strike) in conjunction with the Global FH-BA Team Successfully managed the British Airways - Opportunities Grant Campaign in India – resulting in the largest number of global registrations originating from India Clients: Nokia, British Airways, AT&T Key Achievements Successful launch of the Nokia N8 in India Successfully managing crisis communications for British Airways (Cabin Crew Strike) in conjunction with the Global FH-BA Team Successfully managed the British Airways - Opportunities Grant Campaign in India – resulting in the largest number of global registrations originating from India
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Gartner
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United States
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Information Services
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700 & Above Employee
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Public Relations Manager - India & Middle East
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Feb 2007 - Aug 2008
Key Responsibilities Driving the India-PR Campaign – aligned to global communication objective, including overseeing PR for Dubai Leverage research notes and Gartner’s vast pool of IT analysts locally as well as globally in cohesion with the Global Gartner PR Team One-on-one media training for all Gartner India spokespeople (All 13 India analysts, including recruits) Management of PR agency, equipping them with a seamless flow of information, to facilitate creativity, streamlining… Show more Key Responsibilities Driving the India-PR Campaign – aligned to global communication objective, including overseeing PR for Dubai Leverage research notes and Gartner’s vast pool of IT analysts locally as well as globally in cohesion with the Global Gartner PR Team One-on-one media training for all Gartner India spokespeople (All 13 India analysts, including recruits) Management of PR agency, equipping them with a seamless flow of information, to facilitate creativity, streamlining critical processes like query handling, global dissemination and crisis preparedness Key Achievements At 25, I was the youngest manager across Gartner’s Global PR Team In only ten months, Gartner Inc. became the most quoted and therefore the most visible IT research and advisory firm in India with an average o"f 35 per cent share of voice in all Tier I publications and 40 per cent in all Tier II publications vis-a- vis competitors The additional responsibility of managing PR for the Middle East (Dubai) in just ten months Show less Key Responsibilities Driving the India-PR Campaign – aligned to global communication objective, including overseeing PR for Dubai Leverage research notes and Gartner’s vast pool of IT analysts locally as well as globally in cohesion with the Global Gartner PR Team One-on-one media training for all Gartner India spokespeople (All 13 India analysts, including recruits) Management of PR agency, equipping them with a seamless flow of information, to facilitate creativity, streamlining… Show more Key Responsibilities Driving the India-PR Campaign – aligned to global communication objective, including overseeing PR for Dubai Leverage research notes and Gartner’s vast pool of IT analysts locally as well as globally in cohesion with the Global Gartner PR Team One-on-one media training for all Gartner India spokespeople (All 13 India analysts, including recruits) Management of PR agency, equipping them with a seamless flow of information, to facilitate creativity, streamlining critical processes like query handling, global dissemination and crisis preparedness Key Achievements At 25, I was the youngest manager across Gartner’s Global PR Team In only ten months, Gartner Inc. became the most quoted and therefore the most visible IT research and advisory firm in India with an average o"f 35 per cent share of voice in all Tier I publications and 40 per cent in all Tier II publications vis-a- vis competitors The additional responsibility of managing PR for the Middle East (Dubai) in just ten months Show less
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Vaishnavi Corporate Communications
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India
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Public Relations and Communications Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Assistant Manager
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Oct 2005 - Feb 2007
Clients: Nortel, Tata Communications Key Achievements Rejuvenated the Nortel brand in India through a change-focused PR campaign despite a phase of bad press Successfully managed a project for Tata Communications (VSNL), marking the completion of five years after being taken over by the Tata Group from the Government and the company’s metamorphosis resulting in over 30 media clips across dailies and regional press Clients: Nortel, Tata Communications Key Achievements Rejuvenated the Nortel brand in India through a change-focused PR campaign despite a phase of bad press Successfully managed a project for Tata Communications (VSNL), marking the completion of five years after being taken over by the Tata Group from the Government and the company’s metamorphosis resulting in over 30 media clips across dailies and regional press
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Genesis Burson-Marsteller
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Mumbai Area, India
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Associate
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Nov 2004 - Oct 2005
Clients: Accenture, Level Up, NASSCOM Key Achievements Lead a CNBC roundtable initiative on outsourcing to be moderated by Accenture, which would include Accenture’s clients and prospects and the president of NASSCOM. Clients: Accenture, Level Up, NASSCOM Key Achievements Lead a CNBC roundtable initiative on outsourcing to be moderated by Accenture, which would include Accenture’s clients and prospects and the president of NASSCOM.
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MSLGROUP India
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India
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Public Relations and Communications Services
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300 - 400 Employee
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Account Executive
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Apr 2003 - Nov 2004
Clients: Prudential Process Management Services, HDFC MF, Kotak Life Insurance Key Achievements Contributed to new business development pitches in under six months Clients: Prudential Process Management Services, HDFC MF, Kotak Life Insurance Key Achievements Contributed to new business development pitches in under six months
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Education
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2000 - 2003
St. Xavier's College, Mumbai
Bachelor of Science, Chemistry -
2004 - 2005
Xavier's Institiute of Communication, Mumbai
Advanced Diploma, Advertising, Marketing and Communication
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