Lynn de Souza, 50, Chairman & CEO, Lintas Media Group(New on BT's Most Powerful list)She saw it coming and took it on the chin rather well. The recent loss of the Rs 150-crore ITC account could have been a body blow for Lynn de Souza, Chairman & CEO, Lintas Media Group (LMG), but she has emerged pretty much unscathed thanks to plans B, C, D and more. "We knew this was going to happen and prepared by winning many businesses, " says de Souza.
Ever since she stepped into the tough-as-nails advertising and media industry in 1983, de Souza has learnt to take on crises and competition - and thrive. Industry veteran Sam Balsara, Chairman & MD, Madison World, feels de Souza has done remarkably well: "This is an industry where you are constantly dealing with big and powerful people. All of them are successful and have big egos. Being a woman has its advantages, but it is not easy either," he says.
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De Souza has become an icon herself in a Rs 21,000-crore industry that aims to build brands and strategies that can break through the clutter. Her career path, leading up to the corner room, has seen virtually no detours. She did take a sabbatical in 1998 at Lintas, when she did a one-year course in veterinary nursing at Brisbane North Institute of Technical and Further Education to pursue her passion for animal welfare. But it has been advertising, media and little else otherwise.
"She heads several industry bodies and has also stormed into the maledominated AAAI (Advertising Agencies Association of India) as its Vice President this year," says a senior industry observer.
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Shamni Pande
