(September 13, 2022) “A champion of creativity who brings passion, purpose, and an uncompromising focus in generating impact to everything she does,” is how Mark Read, CEO of WPP – Ogilvy’s parent company described Devika Bulchandani’s appointment as the new Global CEO. Indian-origin CEOs are heading corporate giants across the globe, and the latest to join the bandwagon is advertising maverick Devika, who has not just become the first woman but the first woman of colour to take up the role of the CEO at Ogilvy.
“In this 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. Devika most recently served as Global President and CEO of Ogilvy North America,” the company said in a statement.
“David Ogilvy spoke of giants, and Devika truly is one of the giants of our industry.”
Today we are honored to announce that Devika Bulchandani will take the helm from Andy Main as our new Global Chief Executive Officer.
Learn more: https://t.co/MHdFOrQCT4#TeamOgilvy pic.twitter.com/eAKiLgATX0
— Ogilvy (@Ogilvy) September 7, 2022
The 53-year-old, who was earlier the Global President of Ogilvy North America, spent 26 years at McCann in leadership roles before joining Ogilvy two years ago. For someone who got excited to get $7 per hour at a copy center when she first moved to New York in the mid-90s, this Global Indian has come a long way in the last three decades. “Creating a positive impact in society through the power of creativity” has been her motto, and she championed many such social causes through brand-building efforts. One such was the 2017 ‘The Fearless Girl’ campaign that challenged Wall Street’s symbol of charging bull with a bronze statue of a young girl with hands on her hips to send a message about workplace gender diversity. In no time, the statue became a symbol of women’s equality and one of the most awarded campaigns ever.
Devika Bulchandani is the global CEO of Ogilvy
Born and raised in the heart of Punjab, Amritsar, till the age of 10, she loved climbing trees and cycling with her brothers as a kid. But coming from a patriarchal family, Devika knew that she had to push the envelope to pave the way for herself. Despite a loving and supportive family, she was keen to cast her own identity and financial independence. “The drive came because we grew up in a family where girls didn’t get anything, they were supposed to get married. We (Priya and I) had to pave our way,” she told Vogue. This ambition led her to Welham Girls’ School in Dehradun and later took her to St Xavier’s College in Mumbai for her bachelors in English and Psychology. It was in 1991 that she took a flight to the US to fulfil her dreams of doing her master’s degree in communications at the University of Southern California, and later permanently shifted to the States after her marriage.
She stepped into the world of advertisement in 1995 when it was still evolving, and had a hard time adjusting to the American culture initially. “I didn’t worry about me being different, I worried about me not knowing anything. Advertising is very social, I didn’t feel like I belonged for the longest time,” Global Indian added. But she learnt on the go, and soon rose in seniority. McCann gave her the wings to fly, and in return, she worked on projects that spoke of creativity and social impact. The driving force behind Mastercard’s long-running Priceless campaign, she is known for her ideas that capture the cultural disposition.
Being in an industry in the US that’s dominated by white men, she made a path for herself. However, she praises her mentors at McCann- Harris Diamond, former CEO, and Rob Reilly, former Global Creative Chairman, for giving her the space to flourish. “They were my wings. I always say there were two white men who made me who I am because the last seven years were critical. If I had not been moved out of strategy, I would never have been where I am today.” she told Vogue.
The winner of Effie Awards for Marketing Excellence and multiple 4As Jay Chiat Awards for Excellence in Strategic Planning, she was also honoured with the AdColor Innovator Award. Known for Ad Council campaigns tackling issues such as childhood and adult obesity, she has been breaking the glass ceiling. Taking on the new role, she said in a statement, “David Ogilvy changed the industry 74 years ago when he founded this iconic agency. 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.”
- Follow Devika Bulchandani on Linkedin
