Page 39 - Seniors Today - June 2021 Issue

the advertising business anymore,” he
proclaimed like Nostradamus predicting
the death of advertising. “Don Draper
wouldn’t recognise Adland,” he added,
pitting Don Draper’s Mad Men against
today’s Math Men. For Sorrell, ‘Big Data’
had created a new era of Math Men.
For me, Mike was that ideal combination
of being one of India’s first Mad Men, but
The HTA Executive Committee Meeting 1992 at the Taj with a difference - he was also a Math
Lake Palace, Udaipur. LtoR_ Rita Chaudhari, Ivan Arthur,
Prabhakar Mundkur, Anil Bhatia, Mike Khanna, Ramesh Man long before Sorrell could think of
Thadani, Rajiv Desai and Sunil Gupta the phrase. Not surprising considering
Mike was not only the Chief Executive Mike had an MBA from New York in the
of HTA, later JWT, but he was a highly early ‘60s when it was not yet fashionable
respected industry leader. He played a key to have an MBA. And his first job was in
part in industry bodies like the Advertising research. In the 38 years that Mike spent
Standards Council and the Advertising at HTA, of which he headed the agency
Agencies Association of India. He didn’t for a good 20 years, until he was named
really care for being in the press, but his Chairman Emeritus, he had led the agency
achievements were so great that he became to a position of lasting fame and leadership.
a famous face during his time. He had also groomed dozens of leaders in
“I think we all are ‘Mad Men’ but we are that time.
also ‘Math Men’,” said Sir Martin Sorrell But most of all, he was a great human
some years ago. “It is a balance and our being. Honest, calm, sane, controlled
business is not only an art but also a science and introspective. If I learnt anything
with traditional people. This balance in about management in my 42 years in the
our business is very good. We are not in advertising business, I learnt it from Mike.

SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #24 | JUNE 2021 39