Pooja Jauhari steps down as CEO of VMLY&R India

Pooja Jauhari has stepped down from her role as CEO of VMLY&R after seven months in the position. She was elevated in March 2022, after Anil Nair quit his role as CEO. 

Jauhari was one of the founders of an agency called The Glitch. In 2018, WPP acquired The Glitch, which was then further merged with VMLY&R in 2020.

In a statement shared with Campaign India, Jauhari explained the move.

"Last year as our earnout with WPP neared its conclusion Varun, Rohit and I were planning the next phase of our professional journeys. I was given a unique opportunity to stay back and integrate Glitch within VMLY&R. Over the last year I have been focused on creating a diverse and brave executive committee from four organisations (VMLY&R, Glitch, GTB & VYC) to make an integrated VMLY&R in India," she said.

According to the statement shared, Saurabh Saksena, president, Red Fuse Communications, will be taking over from Jauhari.

Jauhari added, "My work is not complete as over the course of this year and some part of next year I will continue to work with the exco to drive what VMLY&R is known for, delivering a connected marketing ecosystem for our clients. My role was and is to ensure stability and growth for both Glitch and the newly formed VMLY&R. When this is completed, I will move on to the next phase of my life and handover to my friend and colleague Saurabh Saksena. VMLY&R’s culture allows leaders to be transparent about their life goals and I’m a true fan of that. This wonderful year is a result of that. Saurabh and I have and will be working closely over the next few months and this is a planned milestone-based integration and transition plan. Eleven years of building Glitch with the founders and wonderful colleagues, and then this one year of integrating Glitch with VMLY&R has been a rewarding experience, full of growth."

Hari Ramanathan, chief executive officer VMLY&R, South and Southeast Asia and Japan, said, "Pooja has driven a strong integration of our teams this year and continues to create momentum for our clients each day. We are very excited for Saurabh to lead the VMLY&R India team forward. He will work closely in the coming months with Pooja as we chart the next phase for VMLY&R India alongside our very talented executive management team."

Early in October, Varun Duggirala too, quit as co-founder and chief content officer at The Glitch. All three co-founders (Duggirala, Jauhari, and Rohit Raj) of The Glitch have now moved on from the agency.