MUMBAI: Bates India has named Ranjan Kapur as chairman of the agency. This is in addition to his current role as WPP India country head.

At Bates India the chairman position was vacant as Sonal Dabral had quit in January 2012.

In his new role, Kapur will work closely with the senior management of Bates India to help develop an organisation structure that offers more relevant ways of engaging with clients and consumers, the company said.

Kapur said, “Bates has developed an exciting new ‘changengage’ philosophy that helps provide solutions that are both media and discipline neutral, and it has through the line capability and resources, to deliver them.

To drive this thinking forward we are in conversations with a few new age thinkers and we hope to finalise on the CEO for bates India very shortly.”

Ranjan has been informally engaged with Bates ever since he stepped down as chairman of Ogilvy.

Bates 141 regional head of planning Dheeraj Sinha feels that Kapur will help galvanise the people at bates India. He said, “His reputation precedes him and he hasn’t lost any of the passion and drive he displayed when he led Ogilvy to the top.”

Bates Asia regional head Tim Isaac said, "The recent departures at Bates India, have presented us with an opportunity to put the right leadership in place. I am delighted to renew my partnership with Ranjan. I have worked with Ranjan many times since I first arrived in Singapore in 1986. With Ranjan as chairman and a new CEO in place shortly we will be looking to accelerate our growth in India”.