Amitesh Rao, national business head on the Airtel account at Rediffusion Y&R will take on a new role in the network. He will shift base to Sri Lanka as chief operating officer.
In his new role, Rao will report to Misra, the president of the agency’s Indian operations.
Rao’s shift to Sri Lanka follows the successful launch of Airtel in the market – a brand with which Rao has been closely associated.
Rohit Misra, president, Rediffusion Y&R says, “With Airtel’s launch in Sri Lanka, there seemed no one better equipped than Amitesh to build on the momentum, provide leadership in that market. With Amitesh on board, the agency is today poised to provide the same innovative thinking and outstanding creative product in Sri Lanka that has been central to the success of Rediffusion in India.”
Rao moved to Rediff in 2007, from JWT where he headed the Pepsi business as vice-president. Rao has a background in telecom and software. He started his career in advertising with McCann in 1996, as a senior account executive. He later left to set up a software company, returning to advertising in 2005 when he joined JWT.