Leo Burnett India has announced the promotion of Sonal Chhajerh and Pravin Sutar to the positions of National Creative Directors. Previously, Chhajerh held the Groupe Executive Creative Director role, while Sutar served as Head of Creative at Leo Burnett Bangalore. Both will continue to report to Rajdeepak Das, Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe, South Asia & Chairman Leo Burnett South Asia.
This strategic elevation is part of Leo Burnett India’s commitment to modern, transformational creativity that drives growth for brands and businesses. The agency reaffirms its dedication to delivering world-class creativity, innovative thinking, and holistic business solutions that fortify brands by strengthening its creative leadership.
Rajdeepak Das remarked, “At Burnett, our people and culture are at the heart of our success. Sonal and Pravin have consistently gone above and beyond in their roles, contributing significantly to the success of Leo Burnett. I am thrilled they are now stepping into these leadership roles alongside Sachin Kamble and Vikram Pandey, our Chief Creative Officers.
“Sonal’s creative vision aligns perfectly with our ‘Impact a Billion’ philosophy, empowering brands to make a real difference. Pravin has been instrumental in shaping our Bangalore office into a creative powerhouse. Together, as National Creative Directors, they are uniquely positioned to leverage their experience and vision to drive creative effectiveness for both our brands and our people.”
Amitesh Rao, CEO of South Asia, Leo Burnett, Publicis Health & Publicis Business, added, “This year has been phenomenal for Leo Burnett, and Sonal and Pravin have played a crucial role in our success. They embody the values of Leo Burnett, earning respect and admiration from clients, partners, and colleagues alike. Their elevation will enhance our agency’s creative output, further emphasizing our focus on solving business and human challenges through creativity, innovation, data, and technology.”
Pravin Sutar expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “Leo Burnett is at the forefront of creativity and innovation in India. I am excited by the opportunity presented to me by Raj and Amitesh, and I am committed to exploring new platforms for creative expression while preserving our unique Leo Burnett culture. With the talented team we’ve built over the years, we are more than ready to embark on this journey.”
Sonal Chhajerh shared her excitement, stating, “I am thrilled to take on this role and build upon the incredible progress we have made as an agency. I believe the future of advertising lies in using creativity as a force for good—impacting billions of lives through innovation and sustainability. I am grateful to Raj and Amitesh for their trust and look forward to collaborating with our colleagues and brand partners to create world-class work that truly makes a difference.”
Chhajerh is deeply passionate about projects that create real impact for clients and society. She leads the P&G Whisper account and was a driving force behind the ‘Missing Chapter’ campaign, one of the agency’s most acclaimed and awarded initiatives. Sutar has been instrumental in enhancing Leo Burnett Bangalore’s creative offerings, managing a diverse portfolio of major brands including Ikea, ACKO, RedBus, Kingfisher, Heineken, and Lenovo, among others.