Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar named as chief creative officer for Contract Advertising

During his time at Cheil India, his Good Vibes project, in which a tech solution enabled two-way communication for the deafblind, won over 27 awards including Cannes Innovation, D&AD and Goafest.

Tarun Rai, chairman and group chief executive officer (CEO) J.Walter Thompson, said: "Sagar is an industry stalwart. He has built his reputation over the years across many agencies in India and abroad. He has worked with more traditional FMCG clients as well as some of the iconic technology companies. And he has excelled across media platforms - with the last decade, especially, building his reputation as a digital-first creative leader. Contract has some of the most exciting and high-profile brands.

"We have big ambitions for the agency. With Raji Ramaswamy as the CEO and Rohit Srivastava, one of the finest strategic minds in the country, what Contract needed was a CCO with the depth of experience and a solid reputation of creative excellence that Sagar brings to the agency. He is the ideal creative leader to take Contract to the next level and make it a creative powerhouse”.

Mahabaleshwarkar said: “The vision of Contract and the direction that JWT group is taking globally, is to make brands agile and to make brands purposeful. That’s a dynamic shift which is challenging and forward-looking. I am excited with Tarun’s strategy. Having worked on a winning note in a highly competitive, tech-first consumer business for the last three years.

"I am confident the shift is in the right direction. It is all about now. The now of shifting consumer behavior, of tech-enabled lives, of design-conscious user, of brave, bold and light-footed ideas. With right partners in Raji Ramaswamy and Rohit Srivastava and with remarkable clients, the new Contract is a promising venture for both its brands and its people”.