Vaarunya Bhalla Email & Phone Number

Dubai, Ae

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

An accomplished brand manager skilled at handling both commercial and creative responsibilities, I manage the book publishing division for Motivate Media.Motivate is the region’s leading multi-platform content producer and the publisher with the most comprehensive collection of works published about the Arabian Gulf, in both English and Arabic.I’m responsible for developing and achieving the department’s revenue and P&L targets.My role includes business development, ie; identifying and producing new titles to expand our publishing catalogue. It also includes managing all our ongoing projects and engagements with authors and clients.We have developed bespoke branded content for clients such as The Dubai Media Office, Expo 2020 Dubai, Bulgari, Saudi Aramco, Ras Al Khaimah Tourism, Emirates Global Aluminium, Dubai Police and others.I work with a team of editors, designers and sales managers to evaluate and acquire manuscripts for memoirs, art and photography books, business titles, children’s books and works of fiction.I also work with key retailers (online and offline) as well as the Corporate Communications and Marketing teams of our clients to offer innovative solutions across print and digital.

Dubai, Uae

Complete P&L responsibility for Longines across 80+ POS in the UAE, QAT, BAH and OMN:• Responsible for defining and achieving the annual revenue and growth targets• Worked with key stakeholders from across business functions to achieve annual brand plans• Managed the Advertising & Publicity budgets for the markets and retail accounts• Identified and acted on commercial opportunities allowing Longines to attain year on year grow between 2015 and 2020• Worked closely with our creative, digital and PR partners to roll out integratedconsumer-facing campaigns• Launched and successfully sold a ‘UAE Edition’ timepiece designed and manufactured exclusively for our market by Longines HQ• Coordinated a calendar of flagship brand events and exhibitions (including the Dubai World Cup)• CRM database for outreach and engagement: VIP clients, collectors and media contacts• Conveyed the brand’s heritage to key stakeholders and retail ambassadors• Adapted global brand assets as required, per market and per account• Aligned print, in-store, outdoor and digital campaigns with global brand guidelines• Worked on the visual merchandising calendar for the regions• Managed brand training for the entire retail network• Additionally, supported the Group Director on the prestige watchmaking portfolio (Breguet, Blancpain, Jaquet Droz, Jaeger-LeCoultre and others)

Cheil India, Regional Hq For Cheil Worldwide, South-West Asia

Cheil Worldwide is a division of the Samsung Group. I worked closely with Cheil South-West Asia's Group President, Mr. Shiv Sethuraman, to effectively and consistently communicate the agency's vision, values and achievements to key external and internal stakeholders.• My role was to help develop and strengthen Cheil's position as a Top 5 agency brand in the Indian market• Managed Public Relations, Internal Communications, Social Media and Partnerships• Developed relationships with influential business media and key journalists• Organised speaking opportunities for senior management in top business schools • Managed the social media handles of the agency : Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn• Wrote content for thought-leadership pieces and drafted all press releases (regarding account wins, partnerships and talent acquisitions, to name a few)• Drafted initial responses and coordinated interview requests from the media on behalf of the senior management • Developed content for all official platforms such as the corporate website, the global page, internal communications dispatches and award entry nominations

New Delhi

Managed the marketing & publicity for Penguin Group’s literary titles and non-fiction brands (Allen Lane, Portfolio, etc.)Worked on nationwide campaigns for over 40 title launches a year.Worked with renowned authors such as Amitav Ghosh, Atul Gawande, Rajdeep Sardesai, Ramachandra Guha, Sudha Murty, Devdutt Pattanaik, Shashi Tharoor and many others as their publicist. Also helped them craft and execute their social media, marketing and outreach plans.Spearheaded marketing for E-Books and digital reading: growing revenues Y.o.Y.Helped launch a cutting-edge digital short-reads brand: E-Singles. Secured national media coverage for this first-to-market initiativeWorked with agencies to create and deploy fully integrated brand communicationsInitiated consumer and shopper understanding projectsManaged large-scale brand events such as Spring Fever (literature festival), The Penguin Annual Lecture and multi-city book launchesWorked on brand associations and sponsorship deals with partners such as PVR Pictures, ESPN CricInfo, The India Habitat Centre, Naukri.Com, TheUnrealTimes, etc.Edited the internal communications newsletter: Marketweets

New Delhi Area, India

Served as Account Director on the Sony Consumer Electronics business at the Hakuhodo Percept office in New Delhi.Nominated to a position in the Strategic Planning team where I had the opportunity to work directly with Mr. Jayanto Banerjee, the National Planning Head, on a number of the agency's key brands such as Sony, Suzuki and Yakult.Was awarded the Hakuhodo Heavyweight Award by the Managing Director, Mr. Kimiyoshi Muto and by the Executive Director, Mr. Elvis Sequeira for "outstanding contribution to the agency" in August, 2012

Part of the team responsible for the nationwide launch of GSM Telecom brand Tata DOCOMO (a partnership between Tata Sons and NTT Docomo, Japan's leading telecom service provider.)Tata DOCOMO became of the fastest growing telecom brands in the country within the first year of its launch.Managed the various brands of Tata Teleservices nationwideWe received 5 Effie awards for our work (including the Grand Effie and 2 Golds)I was the only Client Servicing team-member who also wrote and presented advertisementsto our clients- I scripted a TVC film starring Bollywood movie star Ranbir Kapoor which ran on national TV

London, United Kingdom

Part of the Real Estate Structured Finance team within Securitised Products.Interned at the firm's office in London after graduating from university.

Fife, Scotland

Award-winning independent student newspaper at the University of St. Andrews: One of only three student papers in the UK with complete financial and editorial independence. (Cherwell and Varsity at Oxford and Cambridge are the other two)Contributed a regular column in the Op-Ed section.

• Youngest Relationship Manager in the Corporate Banking Division• Maintained relationships with multinational clients across various industries such as Nestle, Sony and Bata• Developed business opportunities from sourcing to credit appraisals• Promoted to Assistant Manager at the end of one year

New Delhi Area, India

M.Litt. (Master Of Letters), Management (International Business)

Awarded Merit Scholarship by the School of Management for the degree of Master of Letters. Successfully completed and submitted.

Education record

Editor of the Mayo College Magazine. Editor of the Mayoor (College Newsletter). Member of the College Conclave. Member of the Mayo College.

Education record

Bba, Marketing & Finance

Activities and Societies: President of the Marketing Society Represented college at National and International Level Management Fests.

Ma, English Literature