Sumedha Srivastav - Televisionpoint.com | Mumbai
K George John, chairman and managing director, TBWA India, is retiring on September 30, after spending 40 years in the advertising industry. TBWA Worldwide has recently bought the 49 % stake held by its Indian shareholders to take complete control of TBWA India. Following this acquisition, TBWA together with Omnicom, owns 100 % of TBWA India.

George John, the largest of the three local shareholders, and Kurien Mathews are to remain with the agency until the end of September. John will later continue to serve TBWA India in an advisory capacity. The third shareholder, N Krishnan, will assume an expanded role as TBWA India's group chief operating officer.

George talks about his experiences and future plans. He began his advertising career with Lintas as a media planner in 1969, helping the agency to introduce modern planning models.

Then he moved to account management six years later, and has handled several Lever brands including Liril, Rin, Surf, Close-Up, Dalda and Fair & Lovely. After ten years at Lintas on the Lever account, as well as Johnson & Johnson and Glaxo, he moved to Ulka (now Draft-FCB-Ulka) as executive director. He turned FCB from a loss-making office to Delhi's second-largest agency.

In 1988, George founded Anthem in Delhi, which subsequently joined the TBWA network in 1998. At TBWA, he has launched the entire range of Sony products in India, as well as key launches for Yamaha motorcycles and Electrolux.

Looking back, how has the TBWA experience been for you?
I have enjoyed every day of it, be it my first 10 years of learning at Lintas, Mumbai, the next 10 years of rebuilding Ulka from the brink of collapse, the next 10 years of launching, and nurturing Anthem Communications, and the last 10 years of managing the transition from Anthem to TBWA India.

I would, however, rate the Ulka days as the best phase of my career, where I had the privilege of working with a great team that I got together. Looking back, the joint venture with TBWA is the finest moment in the 20year history of the agency.

Since you have seen the agency through different phases of growth and collaboration. What role would you play in it, post-retirement?
My successor, Shiv Sethuraman, is a competent professional with international experience. I think the future of the agency is very safe in his, and the senior management team's, hands. Therefore, I don't think I have much of a role to play in taking the agency to the next level.

Are there any unfulfilled dreams?
Yes, to be the youngest agency, to be counted among the top 10 before retirement. But we are almost there. The dream will certainly be fulfilled in 2009.

How would you like TBWA to progress?
We have had a healthy growth in the last three years. Our financials are quite robust. The new team should work towards making TBWA India one of the top four agencies in India in terms of market perception.

You wanted TBWA to be known as a creative agency. How much do you think has been achieved?
I think the agency does good work for its clients, though, as a TBWA agency, we should have done better at the award shows. That is what works with media, and that is what can help change perceptions. You will see some good work coming out of the agency in the coming months.

What are your suggestions to carry forward the operations?
It has always been a 'happy agency,' a place where people work with laughter and grace. I wish it remains a happy place forever, growing from strength to strength.

What are your post retirement plans?
Enjoy. With family and friends. I look forward to spending more quality time with my wife and children. I also want to travel a lot as long as my health permits me to do so.