Ogilvy has promoted Devika Bulchandani to global president. Bulchandani joined Ogilvy in November of 2020 as CEO of Ogilvy North America and as global chairwoman of advertising. The new position finds her expanding her global responsibilities to encompass all five Ogilvy business units: advertising, PR, experience, health and growth and innovation.
Bulchandani will work with leaders across Ogilvy’s global network to continue updating the agency’s capabilities, and she will continue overseeing all aspects of Ogilvy’s business across the United States and Canada as CEO of North America.
“Dev is a leader with an acute understanding of our clients’ rapidly evolving needs and a track record of using creativity in all its forms to drive growth and impact,” Andy Main, global chief executive officer, said in a statement. “This new global role is a recognition of the dynamic partnership we developed over the past year as we’ve modernized Ogilvy’s offering, invested in talent and delivered for our clients.”
Prior to joining Ogilvy, Bulchandani was with McCann for 26 years, most recently as president of North America.
“Partnering with Andy, and now Liz (Taylor, global chief creative officer at Ogilvy), over the past year has been invigorating as our respective backgrounds converge at the intersection of our clients’ evolving needs and where our industry is heading. I believe 2021 was a foundational year for our team and I’m excited about all the ways we will build on our momentum through innovative, effective creative work that inspires people and brands to impact the world.”
Bulchandani is devoted to social causes that promote diversity, equality and inclusiveness. She is a founding member of Times Up Advertising, where she championed equality for women in advertising, particularly for women of color. She is also a previous recipient of the AdColor Innovator Award. She has volunteered her time for numerous industry and community projects—including work with the Ad Council—and is an active board member of the Ad Club in New York.
Over the past 12 months Ogilvy has won new global assignments from brands including Absolut, Enterprise Holdings, Zippo, James Hardie and World of Hyatt, as well as new business in North America from TD Bank, FEMA and New York Philharmonic. Additionally, Ogilvy is part of the global WPP team that was named The Coca-Cola Company’s new global marketing network partner.