O&M Singapore appoints Chandra Barathi as head of technology

Based in Singapore, he will report to Chris Riley, group chairman, Ogilvy & Mather Singapore, and Jerry Smith, president, OgilvyOne Asia Pacific.

He was previously general manager at Isobar World Sourcing in Manila.

In the newly created role, Barathi will be tasked with strengthening O&M’s marketing technology consulting and capabilities, helping to deliver high-quality digital projects to clients. He will partner with both internal group companies and external specialists for clients such as Singtel, Unilever and IHG.

Barathi expressed excitement at joining the Ogilvy team at such “a pivotal point”, with the advertising industry in Singapore, and Asia as a whole, growing at a very fast rate with the emergence of digital technologies.

“It is an honour to be given the opportunity to lead the technology capabilities for the business, and I look forward to connecting with our clients across the Ogilvy Group,” he added.

He is returning to O&M, where he was part of OgilvyOne Singapore’s technology team from 2001 to 2005. He then served as technical director for The Upper Storey before joining Isobar in 2012. 

Smith said technology plays an important role in modern marketing but too often is disconnected from the CMO’s office. Businesses want solutions that connect the brand with their customers and enable better experiences.

“[Barathi's] strength is that he is both left- and right-brained so he can bring both sides of the equation together," Smith said. "He will also play a key role in building our 400 staff technology hubs in India and Vietnam.”

Riley said Barathi brings a wealth of tech and industry knowledge that will help meet client demand for advice on strategies and deployment of marketing technologies.