Start Design Group, a London-based branding and design consultancy, has announced the appointment of advertising and media executive Tarun Rai as co-chairman.
Announcing the appointment, Start Design Group said: “We could not have found a better person to join our Board of Directors and help introduce Start Design Group to the Indian and South Asian markets. Tarun has over 30 years of experience in advertising and media. He has over 20 years of experience and has worked with numerous world class companies in India and abroad. He has strong relationships with clients, is a proven leader and has an excellent understanding of branding and design. ”
David Blair, CEO and co-chairman of Start Design Group, said: “Tarun and I first started working together in 2006, when I moved to India with my family to set up offices for Fitch, a WPP Group company, in Mumbai and Delhi. I have been impressed by Tarun's natural ability to build lasting relationships based on trust and understanding. It is great to be working with someone as experienced and highly regarded as Tarun again in India. ”
Tarun Rai commented on his appointment as follows: “We are extremely impressed by the work Sturt Design Group has done for many iconic brands over its 28-year history, including Virgin, Barclays, P&G and Adidas. We were also impressed by their wide range of capabilities, ranging from experiential design. Expanding east makes a lot of sense, especially since David has been based in Mumbai for six years and has built Fitch's India operations. We worked together on a number of assignments and then moved to London to become Fitch's global CEO. It's great to partner with him again.”
With over 30 years of experience in the advertising and media industry, Mr. Tarun is a seasoned leader with a proven track record in the Indian and South Asian markets, having built some of India's strongest brands and growing client and customer base. We have shared a relationship of trust spanning over ten years. Mr. Tarun rejoined JWT in 2015 as CEO for South Asia after serving as CEO of BBC Worldwide and Times of India joint venture Worldwide Media. He became chairman and group CEO when JWT merged with Wunderman to form Wunderman Thompson (now VML). After achieving success in his South Asia mission, he was given responsibility for his APAC region, which covers 17 countries, as Director General.
David Blair, CEO and co-chairman of Start Design Group, is a branding and design expert who has worked with Fitch (now Landor Group), a WPP company, for more than 20 years. He was named Fitch's global CEO in 2017. During his tenure at Fitch, he played many roles, including Tata, Reliance, Aditya, Birla, Godrej, Asian Paints and many more.
As a trusted and leading partner in design strategy and execution, Start Design Group will leverage its international design expertise and local understanding to deliver an unparalleled design experience to its clients in India.
Tarun further adds, “Design language is becoming increasingly international. Moreover, many Indian companies and brands are no longer limited to the local market but have locations across the world. Sturt Design Group, with its deep understanding of the Indian market, is the ideal partner for ambitious companies.”
