Babita Baruah moves on from JWT India, to join WPP

Babita Baruah, Senior Vice President & Managing Partner and Head, PO1 JWT Delhi, has put in her papers. She is now set to helm a senior position at WPP’s Global Team Blue, industry sources have confirmed. Global Team Blue is WPP’s dedicated agency for the Ford business in India. 

Baruah has been associated with J. Walter Thompson India for over two decades. She was recently entrusted with independent charge of JWT’s business unit – Power of One (PO1) – that handles a large number of PepsiCo’s flagship brands. 

As reported earlier, Varun Channa recently came aboard JWT and will be stepping into Baruah’s shoes. He will be based in Gurgaon and will report to Tarun Rai, CEO, J Walter Thompson South Asia. 

Baruah was Business Head, JWT Mumbai till July 2010, before moving to JWT Delhi. Her portfolio has been extensive – Unilever brands, Godrej brands, Kotak brands, Aditya Birla Capital, Kingfisher Airlines, Diageo, Kelloggs, Wills, Bata, Emami, World Gold Council, De Beers, and Nokia, among others. She worked on the Nestle business for two years before moving on to head PO1. From being an avid blogger to a published author, a roadie, a mother, and an advertiser, Baruah is an epitome of today’s women leaders and trend-setters.