Lintas Media Group (LMG) has created Lintas Initiative Media, a full service media and digital arm and has named Sudha Natrajan as its chief executive officer (CEO). She has also been appointed to the board of Lintas Initiative Outdoor, the wholly-owned out of home subsidiary of the Lintas Media Group (LMG), known as Aaren Initiative before the acquisition. Natarajan has been has been promoted to this position and prior to the promotion, she was deputy CEO, LMG.
Lynn de Souza, chairman and CEO, Lintas Media Group, says, "Natrajan has been an indelible part of LMG's growth story for over a decade. She has moved from strength to strength, and built many strong relations with our clients, and the industry at large. There could not be a better point for me to make this announcement than now, as both LMG and Sudha are poised for our next step."
"In this new digitally advanced world, it has become imperative for both media agencies and clients to redefine themselves constantly. My challenge is to ensure that Lintas Initiative Media is one of the most futuristic agencies in India," says Natrajan.
Classic case of trying to placate senior talent with a CXO designation when there is no room at the top as top refuses to vacate. More than a decade of non-digital experience and now CEO of Lintas' digital agency? She has done a great job in offline space, but with all due respect does not mean she is the right person for online world. She should have been promoted within offline vertical in Lintas for her good performance instead of forcing her onto a role she will not be able to do well simply because digital is a different industry altogether. Digital is moving too fast right now for offline talent to "catch up". Her only chance is to hire a deep digital expert as "COO" of Lintas Initiative Media. Else she might quit due to skill-set mismatch.