DDB Mudra Group boosts strategic leadership – Appoints Shashank Lanjekar as National Strategy Head

DDB Mudra Group welcomes Shashank Lanjekar as the National Strategy Head. Shashank brings over 25 years of experience in advertising, brand management, and strategic planning to the role and will work out of the group’s Mumbai office.

Shashank will work in close collaboration with leadership teams across the business to further upgrade the product, create value and drive long-term growth for brands. He will closely work with Rahul Mathew, CCO of the Group, to focus on advancing the agency’s strategic offerings across disciplines to further solidify it with strong creative fundamentals. His strategic acumen is set to fuel DDB’s expansion with the agency’s growing roster of clients.

A seasoned strategist, Shashank has worked with some of India’s most iconic brands across diverse industries. Throughout his career, he has played a pivotal role in developing and executing impactful campaigns that have driven business growth. Before joining DDB Mudra Group, Shashank served as Chief Strategy Officer at VML India, where he spearheaded strategy for key accounts like IDFC First Bank, Titan Skinn, Hindustan Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser. He previously held the same position at Dentsu, where he led planning for marquee brands such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Nykaa, Uber, and Star Sports.

His previous assignments include strategy and account management roles at Soho Square (now 82.5 Communications) within the Ogilvy India group and McCann Erickson.

Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group said, “We believe in a strategy that has the power to move the work and the consumer. Not a strategy that merely sits pretty on PowerPoint slides. Shashank embodies the same belief. He will also help us strengthen many of the rigours needed to have a strong strategic backbone. Really excited to work with him again.”

Shashank added, “The hunger of this team to keep pushing for better work year on year is what stood out for me to begin with. Add to that the width of the clientele and the depth of talent across the group, and you have the textbook definition of ‘opportunity’.

What’s more, I have known Rahul since 2005 and am glad to see the hungry, front-foot player in him intact. I am itching to partner him at the other end of the crease.”

Shashank’s interest in poetry, humour, and percussion reflects his dynamic personality and creative spark, which he brings to his strategic thinking.