Karan Punia
Summary
I am a communications advisor with 22 years of experience in consulting to large multi-national corporations, with a focus on reputation management for protecting and promoting brands. At the core of my abilities lie the analytical, collaborative and communications competencies needed to effectively build executive voices to support business and marketing objectives. These include an understanding of the evolving communications landscape and the opportunities and risks it creates, how news and views are shaped, and the role that different media, channels and content formats play in building thought leaders.
A large part of career had been spent in the technology industry as a strategic advisor to companies such as Google, Cisco, Ericsson, AMD, and Nokia, helping them identify conversation white spaces, create industry relevant narratives, and deliver them in authentic leadership voices to influence customer and partner preferences, and shape government policy around the most pertinent issues facing the business and the industry at large.
An example is work done with Nokia to further its agenda of becoming a handset + services company. We did this by positioning the company and its India CEO, as influential voices in the industry, defining the broader economic impact of mobility and enabling new opportunities in entertainment streaming, rural livelihood improvement and digital business. Despite facing challenges such as market share loss, Nokia remained the voice of the industry in the media till its exit from the handset business. More recently, I worked closely with the communications leadership at Maersk and Google to devise a strategy and execute the communications campaign to tackle a misinformation campaign on cost of trade (Maersk) and to establish Google’s voice in digital payments and in AI.
Finally, I have worked across stakeholders and large teams, to deliver impactful communications.
Overview
27
27
years of professional experience
Work History
Key Client Partner
BCW APAC
04.2024 - Current
- As a strategic advisor to key regional clients, I collaborate with teams based in India, Singapore, and Hong Kong to drive multi market corporate and brand communications.
Google
- Lead the agency team in partnering the client in external communications to drive business objectives and brand love while navigating an extremely challenging operating environment.
Maersk
- Work with its APAC communications team on a regional messaging and executing big media moments across the region.
TCL
- Develop external global communications for new product and innovation launches.
Managing Director
Six Degrees BCW
06.2013 - 03.2022
- Drove agency expansion into newer sectors beyond technology such as Automobiles, Retail, FMCG, Shipping & Ports, and Hospitality.
National Client Lead & General Manager
Six Degrees BCW
02.2009 - 05.2013
- Focused on scaling our technology business with wins like Google, EMC (now Dell) and Nokia among others.
Consultant
Archetype (erstwhile Text 100 India)
01.2000 - 07.2008
- Worked on and grew some of their biggest clients including Nokia, Cisco, NASSCOM, British Telecom and Virgin Mobile amongst others.
Associate
Perfect Relations
01.1999 - 10.1999
- Worked on clients including Motorola, Tupperware, Reebok, Telstra, Schindler, Haryana Electricity Reforms project with World Bank and Imperial Hotel, among others.
Co-Founder
Mavericks (A startup Event Management Company)
10.1997 - 11.1998
- Led business development and consumer roadshows across India for Philips Mobile.
Education
Bachelor of Commerce -
Delhi University
IndiaDon Bosco School -
CBSE Board (Science)
IndiaSkills
- Storytelling & Thought Leadership: Strategic thinking informed by an understanding of the evolving business/ media/ influencer/ public policy landscape and strong content skills help me drive thought leadership
- Stakeholder Engagement: Understanding their agenda and furthering it through visibility in top tier media, industry, and internal platforms
- Crisis Management: Working across internal and external stakeholders to manage and mitigate reputation risks
- Team Development: Built and managed teams and groomed individuals into high growth professionals
- Entrepreneurial: Agility to work in ambiguous, fast paced, and challenging environments across large teams and functions to drive results
Accomplishments
- Prepared cross functional leadership teams for communications on strategic initiatives.
- Developed position papers and drove industry reports to support public policy agenda through communications.
- Mapped and engagement stakeholder to prepare ground for market entry.
- Managed reputation risks for brands on host of issues including sustainability, product/service deficiencies, anti-trust and regulation.
- Created thought leadership platforms for external communications.
- Crisis preparation and management.
References
- Maersk
- IKEA
- PepsiCo
Hobbies and Interests
Sports, Music, and Travel.
Timeline
Key Client Partner
BCW APAC
04.2024 - Current
Managing Director
Six Degrees BCW
06.2013 - 03.2022
National Client Lead & General Manager
Six Degrees BCW
02.2009 - 05.2013
Consultant
Archetype (erstwhile Text 100 India)
01.2000 - 07.2008
Associate
Perfect Relations
01.1999 - 10.1999
Co-Founder
Mavericks (A startup Event Management Company)
10.1997 - 11.1998
Google
Maersk
TCL
Bachelor of Commerce -
Delhi University
Don Bosco School -
CBSE Board (Science)
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