Ep 67: Building Brands, Inspiring Leaders: The Lulu Raghavan Story

2024-04-12

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Lulu Raghavan serves as the Vice President for APAC and Managing Director for India at Landor. With over 23 years of experience at Landor, spanning offices in San Francisco, New York, London, and Mumbai, Lulu has held various roles within the company. Under her leadership, Landor India received prestigious accolades, such as the Campaign South Asia Brand Design Agency of the Year 2023 and the Great Place to Work Award 2023. Her notable awards and achievements include Campaign India Mentor of the Year 2023, Campaign India...

Her notable awards and achievements include Campaign India Mentor of the Year 2023, Campaign India Woman Shaping Change 2023, IMPACT Top 50 Women in Media, Marketing, and Advertising (2023, 2019, 2015), and serving as a Cannes Lions Design Jury member in 2018. She has also co-authored five business school case studies on branding, which enjoy global circulation, and conceptualized and hosted "Beyond Logo," a TV show for Bloomberg that highlighted the transformative impact of branding on businesses.

As a staunch advocate for women in leadership, Lulu played a pivotal role in establishing WPP Stella in India in 2018 and now guides its scaling up as a member of the Super Council. She frequently teaches branding at various business schools and curated a two-week course on personal branding for second-year MBA students at BITSoM in Mumbai last year. Lulu is also a Trustee for Dignity Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to the well-being of senior citizens in India.

She holds a BA in Economics and Applied Math from Davidson College in the US and an MBA in International Business and Marketing from SP Jain Institute of Management and Research in India. Fluent in five languages, including English, Hindi, Tamil, French, and Spanish, Lulu's diverse background and expertise contribute significantly to her success in the industry.

Key themes emerging out of our conversation:

Discipline and daily rhythm.
The value of Personal Branding.
Importance of formal education.
Balancing left and right brain skills.
Creating a cohesive team environment.
Fostering a positive and high-performance culture.
Fostering deeper connections with linguistic proficiency.
Choosing an industry that isn't a rat race, finding the right fit.
Influence of mentors, the importance of having a support system.
Stepping back and allowing others to take leadership roles, not dominating the room.
Being passionate about the company and the work is a key driver of motivation and success.