Devika Bulchandani appointed Global CEO of Ogilvy

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New York: Internationally acclaimed branding company Ogilvy announced Sept. 7, 2022, that Devika Bulchandani has been appointed Global Chief Executive Officer.

Bulchandani most recently served as Global President and CEO of Ogilvy North America. Under her leadership Ogilvy earned Network of the Year honors at Cannes Lions in 2022, while also being named Network of the Year by The One Show, and Global Network of the Year by Campaign Magazine.

In her newly appointed role, she will be responsible for all aspects of the creative network’s business across 131 offices in 93 countries and spanning its Advertising, Public Relations, Experience, Consulting, and Health units.

She will also join parent company WPP’s Executive Committee as she takes on her new role. She takes the helm from Andy Main who is stepping down as Global CEO and will serve as a Senior Advisor until the end of the year.

“David Ogilvy changed the industry 74 years ago when he founded this iconic agency,” Bulchandani is quoted saying in the press release. “As we write the next chapter in the history books of Ogilvy, we will do it together with our clients, using creativity to push the boundaries of what’s possible. I am honored and humbled to take on this role, and to do it with all our incredibly talented people all over the world,” she added.

Over the last two years the has added some big names to its client list including Absolut, Enterprise Holdings, World of Hyatt, TD Bank, FEMA, New York Philharmonic, and Audi of America.

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, called Bulchandani “a champion of creativity who brings passion, purpose, and an uncompromising focus on generating impact to everything she does.”

Read credited Bulchandani, in partnership with Main and Liz Taylor, for being instrumental in Ogilvy’s recent growth and development. “Her love for our industry, deep understanding of clients’ needs, and track record of delivering growth for agencies and brands, make her the perfect choice to lead Ogilvy to even greater success.”

Main had high praise for his successor. “David Ogilvy spoke about the importance of hiring giants and Devika is truly one of the giants in the industry. It has been an honor being a part of this company’s rich history and I know Devika will continue accelerating the momentum our team has built,” he said.

Prior to joining Ogilvy, Bulchandani spent 26 years at McCann in various leadership roles including President of McCann North America.

“Dev’s proudest achievements have occurred at the intersection of the social causes she champions and brand-building efforts on behalf of clients,” the company said.

She is considered the “driving force” behind Mastercard’s long-running “Priceless” campaign as well as “True Name,” a first-of-its-kind feature launched in 2019 that empowers transgender and non-binary people to display their chosen name on their Mastercard.

Known for ideas that capture the cultural zeitgeist, Bulchandani  also helped launch “Fearless Girl,” the little girl facing off the bull in a Wall Street setting, which became an iconic symbol of the power of women.That campaign became one of the most awarded campaigns in the history of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

This coming October, Bulchandani will be honored by New York Women in Communications (NYWIC) at the 2022 Matrix Awards, which honors women who are making a difference, building community, and inspiring the next generation of female leaders in their field.

She has previously received a range of other honors including, NY Power Woman by Moves Magazine; US Advertising Agency Head of the Year by Campaign Magazine; Working Mother of the Year by She Runs It; and ADCOLOR Innovator. She has been the recipient of multiple 4As Jay Chiat Awards for strategic planning. Dev serves on the board of the ERA Coalition. She is also a founding member of Times Up Advertising and serves on the boards of the Ad Council, the 4A’s, and the Advertising Club. Bulchandani was also named “Working Mother of the Year” by She Runs It in 2017.

She has volunteered her time for numerous industry and community projects, and is devoted to social causes that promote equality and diversity.