JWT Malaysia hires new head of strategic planning

J. Walter Thomson (JWT) Malaysia has appointed Bhaskar Thakur as the head of strategic planning.  He will lead the strategic planning for brands such as Nestle and Shell.Thakur has over thirteen years of experience in building brands, creating categories and growing business, across FMCG, financial services and technology brands along with establishing and leading the brand strategy and brand marketing for varied brands.Previously, based out of Gurgaon, India, Thakur was the head of brand strategy of OYO Rooms for over a year. In the past, he has also been the AVP and strategic planning director for JWT in Gurgaon, India. During his tenure he handled the strategy for a broad portfolio of brands such as  PepsiCo - Slice, Mountain Dew, Tropicana & Gatorage, Nestle, Kitkat, Munch, Alpino, Milkybar ,GSK  and more.He has also worked in the strategic departments of companies such as Ogilvy & Mather, Euro RSCG and Publicis.Recently, JWT Malaysia appointed Saurabh Saksena as its new managing director. Right before this role, Saksena was JWT Delhi’s senior vice president and chief growth officer based in Gurgaon. He took on the role in January 2014. He has been with the agency since 2009, first joining as its executive business director.“Thakur brings a deep understanding of consumer culture, technology and data across different marketing disciplines,” said Saksena. “That, together with his experience working with global brands, will bolster our strategic strength at JWT Kuala Lumpur,” he added.