Mona Sen Gupta 21 Syed Amir Ali Avenue Kolkata 700 017 Off: 13/3/1 Swinhoe Street, Flat 3A, Kolkata 700-019 Mobile: +91 98301 24440 Phone (R): +91 33 2287 7690 / 2287 7857

Date of Birth: October 9

MY AIM: To be able to take on a challenge with a nation-wide scope and capability and implement the ideas that germinate.

MY CHALLENGE: To carry into any organisation a wealth of ideas and organisational aptitude, including a wholesome expertise that would take the brand concerned and its vision to new heights by utilising my experience with the following companies/organizations:

 Ahava Communications  ORPHEUS BRANDCOM PVT. LTD  FREQUENCY  Apeejay Oxford Bookstores Pvt Ltd  Apeejay Surrendra Corporate Services  Singapore Press Holdings  The Telegraph daily, Kolkata  The Statesman, Kolkata

EDUCATION:

(1) Master of International Studies (MIS - European Integration), University of Birmingham, UK, 1996 (2) MA in Mass Communication, University of Leicester, UK , 1991 (3) BA (English Honours), University of Calcutta, 1990 (4) West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education – (Loreto House), Calcutta, 1987 (5) Council For The Indian School Certificate Examinations (Loreto House), 1985

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS:

Represented Department of Political Science and International Relations, University of Birmingham, at various seminars and conferences at several Universities in the UK.

- Elected Student Representative by Post-Graduate students of the School of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham. Headed a council of Representatives of 21

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departments and represented entire student body of the department at all Staff/Student meetings.

- Student Representative of the Department of Mass Communications, Leicester University (1990-91)

- Member of the Students’ Guild and Secretary at the International Students’ Society, The University of Leicester

- Best Speaker Award at an Inter-College Debating Competition on ‘Dilemma and T.S. Eliot’ organised by Presidency College, Calcutta (1989)

- Represented Loreto College on ‘Ibsen, Shaw and the birth of Modern Drama’ at Jadavpur University 1989. Won the Best Speaker Award.

- Represented Loreto College at a creative writing workshop organised by author Bharati Mukherjee at Jadavpur University, 1989.

- Best Supporting Actress Award at the Inter-School Dramatics Competition organised by the British Council, Calcutta (1986)

- Won Inter-School and Inter-College and British Council Creative Writing Competitions

CURRENT JOB PROFILE:

As Partner/Director of AHAVA : I have the following responsibilities:  Overseeing Strategy, Brand Communication, Content Development, Design, Promotion & Event concepts (along with the Creative Teams) for all our Corporate Clients  Jointly responsible for organising, managing, developing, and executing projects  Assisting in Business Development/Marketing activities/challenges of AHAVA Communications  Acting as an interface between our Clients & Creative Agencies, ensuring quality product and timely delivery to Clients

OUR CLIENTS: Are from diverse sectors such as Education, FMCG, Paper, Finance, Telecom, BPO, IT

We have been associated with PepsiCo, Fritolay, Hewlett Packard, CitiFinancial, Airtel, Nestle, Tetrapak, Wrigley India, Convergys, Xchanging, Aricent, XL India, SR Foils Ltd, Apeejay Oxford Book store, Khaitan Public School, Uninor and CREDAI (8engal Chapter)

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PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENTS:

As Manager, Marketing and Alliances (India), Apeejay Oxford Bookstores (April 2004-July 2006), I oversaw the following activities around the country: (Oxford Bookstore is one of the leading and most prestigious chain of bookstores in India: In fact,Oxford Bookstore, Kolkata is an iconic institution with an exciting history of 95 years and is currently a centre of culture, literature and provides a vibrant platform for showcasing various art forms. International luminaries such as Sir Vidya Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, Gunter Grass, Taslima Nasreen, Amitav Ghosh, William Dalrymple, Jhumpa Lahiri, ( to name a few) have either launched their books here or have graced the store to hold informal sessions with the Press and Booklovers. )

 Curating Formalising, Budgeting and Implementing all Events  Brand Positioning  Brand Enhancement Strategising  Media Relations/Communication/Interaction (all) – On Board/PR Agencies Co-ordinate with me  Firming Sponsorships and Alliances  Relationship and Interaction with Publishers nationally  Interacting in the Designing and positioning of Collaterals  Cha-Bar (Oxford Bookstore-combined Browser Tea facilities) promotion and positioning  Inter-relation with Store Managers regarding Events and allied arrangements  Core-Group member in new store strategising and opening  Initiation of Kids’ Branding/Young Adult Concepts, through Events  Creation of Oxford Bookstore Clubs  The www.oxfordbookstore.com website was my responsibility  Promotion of the nation-wide Customer Loyalty Programme  Strategising of Annual Sales Marketing and Promotion  Hiring PR personnel nationally and Content and Creative team for the website

ACHIEVEMENTS AT OXFORD BOOKSTORE:

1. Changed the Overall Exposure Charter of Oxford Bookstores, introducing novel Event concepts and people involved in: Books, Business, Photography, Art, Theatre, Food & Lifestyle, Fashion, NGOs, Music, Design, Social Awareness, Films, Authors and IT.

Some eminent people who have visited Oxford Bookstores on such occasions and who I have rapport with: Ahmed Ali, Nafisa Ali, Aparna Sen, Dolly Thakore, Shobha De, Rahul Bose, Nandita Das, Gautam Ghose, Amitav Ghosh, Sir V.S. Naipaul, Dr Nabaneeta Deb Sen, Gita Hariharan Sanjeev Goenka, Usha Uthup, Bikram Ghosh, Tanmoy Bose, Manna De, Amit Chaudhuri, Mrinal Sen, Shabana Azmi, Victor Banerjee, Girish Karnad, Mahesh Dattani, Tabu, Shashi Kapoor, Kiran Uttam Ghosh, Manoviraj Khosla, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Sudha Murty, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Salman Rushdie, Günter Grass, Taslima Nasreen, Ipsita Roy Chakraverti, Mahasveta Devi, Shashi Deshpande, Anita Nair, Deepti Naval, Ruskin Bond, Sunil Gangopadhyay, William Dalrymple, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Ankit Fadia, Chetan Bhagat.

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2. Established, Popularised and, in some instances, introduced, the brand in Mumbai, Bangalore, New Delhi & Goa through a wide-range of novel events, extensive media coverage of events and generic stories in leading English dailies, magazines and extensive mailers/ invites to different segments in each city.

3. Directed and co-ordinated with on-board Media Agencies for relevant and effective media coverage of promotions, nationally curated events and alliances. Strategised and initiated stories/articles in leading regional vernacular dailies, national and regional TV channels as well as ad-campaign shoots of corporates and contemporary authors. Some publications in the context: The Times of India, The Hindustan Times, HT Next, Economic Times, The Telegraph, The Statesman, The Indian Express, The Pioneer, The Tribune, Today, The Hindu, Midday, The Asian Age, Sahara Samay, Dainik Jagaran, Jansatta, Ananda Bazar Patrika, Punjab Kesari, The Financial Express, Business Standard, Outlook, India Today, Elle 18, Society, The Week and more. The Electronic Media houses that I have been instrumental in interaction: Zee, Aaj Tak, NDTV, Zoom, Star News, India TV, Headlines Today, Doordarshan, Star Ananda, Red FM, Radio Mirchi etc.

4. Planned alliances with leading Publishing Houses, Corporates, Multi-National Companies, banks and leading NGOs to increase visibility of Events. Initiated tie-ups/alliances with: HSBC, State Bank of India, Cadburys, Pepsi, Nestle, Infosys, Britannia, ITC, WWF, CNN, Camlin, Luxor, Kodak, Penguin, Rupa & Co., Picador India, Oxford University Press, Prakash Books, Random House, Scholastic, Orient & Longman, Hachette, Pan MacMillan, HarperCollins India., TATA McGraw Hill, Sage Publications, Magna Books, Weavers Studio, Red FM, Airtel, Pogo, Columbia Tristar (Bend it Like Beckham promos), PlanetM.

5. Ideated and supervised effective use of all corporate and event collaterals. Had initiated several items specifically for branding and generating sponsorships on a national platform.

6. Positioned and popularised the Cha Bar at all stores through events, media, tea related stories, food, health and lifestyle festivals. Festivals initiated at all Ch Bars in collaboration with The Park group of Hotels. Events/Festivals in the context: Mango Festival (Bangalore), Chocolate Festival (Mumbai & New Delhi), Tea Festival (Mumbai), Health Foods Festival (Mumbai), Shakes Festival (New Delhi), Kama Sutra (all stores), Karma Sutra (New Age, all stores) etc.

7. Directed all Store Managers and PR personnel on brand positioning, events’ positioning, budgets and sponsorships. Core Activity/Responsibility: Sanction/Authentication of all Budgets regarding Events/Festivals and Promotions.

8. Led all launch activities, events and devise strategies for media stories. Had led launch activities at Oxford Bookstore Bangalore and Oxford Bookstore New Delhi.

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This included: Core team head for planning/co-ordination/execution of launch events, strategizing media coverage and brand positioning of the stores.

9. Planned, devised, formatted along with the implementation of events targeting specific age-groups and segments. Also curated events and promotions in conjunction with publishers and corporates to position an independent brand for kids and young adults across the board. Some Events: Kids’ Carnival (day-long activities) at Kolkata and Mumbai. Christmas Cheer at all stores, Kids’ Dhamaka ( where I curated a set of four Children’s events nationally for all stores). Kids’ Co-ordinators at all Oxford Bookstores report to me. Ideated the launch of the MAD workshop with Pogo Channel at all stores. Kids’ Film promos (like Lord of the Rings, Superman, Winnie the Pooh, Twinkle Toes, etc.)

10. Positioned Oxford Bookstore as a vibrant platform for talented and creative youth to showcase their works and inspire aspiring youth, implemented the formation of 7 national clubs. Event Brands: Young Adult Events, Fashion (Sabyasachi Mukherjee), Music (Krosswindz, Hippocket, Class Apart, Bikram Ghosh,Tanmoy Bose, Alliance Francaise etc.). Club Brands: Dialogue (Theatre Club), Black Pencil – Sketch an Idea (Design Club), Flash (Film and Photography Club) and Cha Writers (An open forum for young writers). Teen Hence the idea of intra-branding. Oxford Booklovers’ Club (to encourage and popularise reading habits among all cross-sections of people) Oxygen (IT Club- a forum for IT enthusiasts, IT professionals and those involved in animation, graphics etc)

11. Repositioned www.oxfordbookstore.com from an online branding tool to an independent profit making centre. In 2003, the web site was short-listed in the Business Category of the ComputerWorld’s Smithsonian Awards. Directed web team on content and design as well as was responsible for acquiring online alliances and building a strong customer-database. Achievements: Met sale targets for 2003-04 financial; e-Author Version 2.0 and Version 3.0 (with Rupa & Co.), online National Competition for budding writers with judges like: Taslima Nasreen, Sudha Murty, Anita Nair, Sashi Deshpande, Samik Bandopadhyay, Bikram Chandra, Tarun Tejpal, M.J. Akbar, Gita Hariharan and others. Across the board online-offline creative writing competition for Kids (with Penguin).Had also formalized the launch of e Author Version 4.0 in January 2006 where Readers Digest will be partnering as sponsors for the contest.

12. Led the Customer Loyalty Programme (nation-wide) and carve out promotions and alliances to increase membership of Book lovers (Adults) and Bookworms (kids). Also supervised and regulated all related data and records of 30,000 members across the country.

13. Led all ad-campaigns, devise media hype, formulate national tie-ups for the Great Oxford Sale held annually at all stores. Special Mention: Initiated the HSBC tie-up as co-sponsors for all collaterals and all ads.

14. Was responsible for hiring all PR personnel and members of the online team in conjunction with the CEO.

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 Apeejay Oxford Bookstores Pvt. Ltd, April, 2003 - April 2004  National Manager - Marketing and Content  Apeejay Surrendra Corporate Services, Kolkata, November 2000 - April 2003  Content Editor, www.stockmarkit.com  Singapore Press Holdings, Singapore, 2000 - Project Eyeball Newspaper  Ananda Bazaar Patrika Group, The Telegraph, Kolkata: Business, Foreign Dept and Edit Department: January 1994 to March 2000. Regular contributor to different sections of the Daily, including Travel, Health, Leisure, Women, Weekend. Plus Edit Articles on International Political Affairs, particularly the European Union + reportage.  The Statesman, Kolkata, December 1991- December 1993 (News Desk)

EXTRA-CURRICULAR:

 Researched/wrote academic based papers for Inter-University Seminars in the UK.  Participated in Inter-School and Inter-College Dramatics, Debate and Creative Writing Competitions  Represented and led school team in basketball and hockey, state team in basketball  Actively involved in Leadership Training Service (LTS)  Piano - Royal College of Music Examinations (Practical) and Trinity College of Music (Theory) Examinations  Bharatnatyam - Performed solo and with troupes for 10 years. Also associated with Dancers' Guild

STRENGTHS: Strong ideating, communication and writing skills, artistic inclinations, ability to lead and motivate a team, dynamic, confident, enthusiastic, ability to co-ordinate, potential to ideate PR and branding strategies and dynamics towards spearheading the growth of a company.

References: On Request

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