Srinivasan Swamy bags IAA Golden Compass Award

Popularly known as Sundar Swamy, he received the award at the 45th IAA World Congress held in Penang, Malaysia.

Mumbai: Srinivasan Swamy, the Chairman and Managing Director of R K Swamy Ltd, has been conferred with the coveted IAA Golden Compass Award, instituted by the International Advertising Association. 

Popularly known as Sundar Swamy, he received the award at the 45th IAA World Congress held in Penang in Malaysia. Penang Governor Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak presented the award. 

The award honours legends who have significantly contributed to the world in the field of marketing, advertising and media industries - and this is the first time that this award is being bestowed upon an Indian industry leader. 

Sundar Swamy joins the list of Shelly Lazarus (Chairman Emeritus, Ogilvy and Mather), Paul Polman (CEO, Unilever), Paul Rossi (President, Economist Group) and Marc Pritchard (Chief Brand Officer, Procter & Gamble), Andrew Robertson (President& CEO, BBDO Worldwide) among others.

“I am happy to receive this most coveted award on behalf of all the professionals in my company as well as the industry who have supported me at work and in my various initiatives over the years. I want to dedicate this award to my father, the late  R K Swamy, who once said to me that no amount of time given to the industry is wasted time, since that is the hand that feeds us,” Sundar Swamy.

He currently holds the position of Chairman for The Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) and The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC).

Sundar Swamy heads RK Swamy Ltd, the only integrated marketing services company that will be listed on the main bourses of the Indian Stock Exchanges early next week. 

“Sundar is a leader on steroids. His ability to set tall targets and get things done when the odds are stacked against him is inspiring. His leadership style is inclusive, but he will not brook any slackness from his teammates. It amazes me that he finds quality time for everything despite running a large diverse business. I wish him continued good health and energy as his group embarks on a new journey as a publicly listed entity,” said Ramesh Narayan, an advertising industry veteran, who has closely worked with Sunder Swamy.

Swamy has been a stalwart in the marketing services industry since October 1998 when he first joined the Executive Committee of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI). During his tenure in AAAI, he was the architect of an agreement signed with the then Indian Broadcasting Foundation which put agency members and broadcaster members on an equal footing. He is the only person who served AAAI for three consecutive years as President.

As the first Indian to hold the position of IAA Chairman and World President, he spearheaded initiatives on data privacy, and brought out a twin-volume handbook on data privacy laws across the globe, in collaboration with the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance).

Under his Chairmanship, the 44th IAA World Congress was hosted in Kochi, India, which is widely regarded as the most successful in IAA’s history due to its scale and the calibre of speakers.