Fifty-three year old Devika Bulchandani’s appointment as Global Chief Executive Officer of ad network Ogilvy is historic as it marks the rising influence of women in an industry dominated by men. The appointment is particularly apt as Bulchandani was the creative force while she was at McCann, behind the gender stereotype breaking Fearless Girl, a campaign that involved putting a bronze statue of a girl standing without fear in front of Wall Street’s charging bull.

Bulchandani will be responsible for all aspects of Ogilvy’s business across 131 offices in 93 countries and spanning its advertising, public relations, experience, consulting, and health units. She is currently the CEO of Ogilvy North America and will take over the reins from Andy Main.

The Amritsar-born was schooled at Welham Girls School in Dehradun, and graduated from St Xavier’s in Mumbai, moved to the US for higher studies.

Bulchandani, who spent 26 years at McCann in various leadership roles prior to joining Ogilvy, has always been passionate about the power of creativity to make a positive impact on society. She was the driving force behind Mastercard’s long-running “Priceless” campaign as well as “True Name,” a first-of-its-kind feature launched in 2019 that empowers transgender and non-binary people to display their chosen name on their Mastercard. The “Fearless Girl” has been one of the most awarded campaigns at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Next month, she will be honoured by New York Women in Communications at the 2022 Matrix Awards, which honours women who are making a difference, building community, and inspiring the next generation of female leaders in their field.

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