Tag: Manisha Seewal

Singapore – Redhill, the Singapore-headquartered full-service global communications agency, has appointed Manisha Seewal as its president. In this role, Seewal will work closely with Redhill’s management team to oversee and enhance the agency’s business and operational functions, as the company seeks to accelerate its growth sustainably to become a holistic and integrated communications agency. 

Seewal first joined Redhill as a senior advisor in November 2022, bringing with her over two decades of senior leadership expertise. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated acute industry expertise in terms of marketing, digital transformation and market expansion. This includes leading various ‘Singapore’s first’ digital transformation projects, such as the country’s first ‘Netflix for Cars’ subscription-based programme and first life insurance chatbot. She was also listed amongst World’s Top 100 In-House Communicators and 100 Most Influential Global Marketing Leaders.

“Having worked with Manisha for the past months, I’m happy to welcome her into her new role as President. Especially during our critical growth juncture, I’m confident that she will further strengthen Redhill’s capabilities in the long term,” said Jacob Puthenparambil, Founder and CEO of Redhill. 

Before joining Redhill, Seewal was the chief marketing officer of Gumtree, Carsguide, and Autotrader, where she spearheaded the three brands’ digital transformation of their marketing and editorial functions in Australia. Prior to that, she was the first Group CMO of Southeast Asian car marketplace Carro – where she scaled the company’s marketing team from just three people to over 70-strong across Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. 

Whilst at Carro, Seewal concurrently served as the CEO of Jualo.com, Indonesia’s third-largest e-classified marketplace, which was acquired by Carro. Before joining the startup world, she headed the marketing business of several financial institutions like Tokio Marine, HSBC, and AVIVA. 

“With its 200-person formidable team and a vast global presence, Redhill is the world’s second fastest growing PR agency that is ready for the next stage of growth. It is time we connect our new business acquisitions with a strategic lens to unleash Redhill’s potential as a full-stack communications agency. I’m delighted to be a part of this journey, and I look forward to what comes next for the agency’s continued success,” said Seewal. 

Seewal’s new appointment coincides with Redhill’s rapid growth. The agency officially entered three new markets recently, namely, the Middle East, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Further to this, the company has also recently inked strategic partnerships with Sri Lanka-based PR Wire and Singapore-based Aroca Consulting Group (ACG) to respectively boost its market presence and competencies in Sri Lanka, as well as its general service offerings in government relations and public affairs. 

Singapore – Redhill, the Singapore-headquartered communications agency with a global presence, has taken in marketing veteran Manisha Seewal to be its senior international advisor. Seewal most recently comes from Australia, helming the marketing of Gumtree Australia, CarsGuide and Autotrader; and was most notably the CMO of SEA car marketplace, CARRO. 

Seewal will be closely working with Redhill CEO Jacob Puthenparambil. She will be taking primary responsibility for driving the agency’s operational performance, scaling its international presence, and activating additional growth opportunities. 

“Redhill has accelerated its growth organically and through acquisitions over the past few years. Manisha’s role will help build on our momentum. She is a seasoned operational leader with deep experience in the marketing and digital transformation space in the Southeast Asia and Australia region,” said Puthenparambil.

Seewal brings with her over two decades of marketing experience in advertising, banking, insurtech, startups, and e-classifieds across the APAC region. As CMO of Gumtree Australia, CarsGuide and Autotrader, she led the digital transformation of all three brands’ marketing and editorial functions in Australia. 

Meanwhile, as Group CMO of SEA’s first Unicorn online car marketplace, CARRO, a role she held for three years up to 2021, Seewal scaled the company’s marketing function from a three-person team to over 70 strong across Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. Concurrently, she served as the CEO of CARRO’s Jualo.com, the e-classified marketplace in Indonesia. 

Seewal has exemplified her leadership in the digital transformation space, being accounted to for several ‘Singapore’s first’ digital transformation initiatives. These include Singapore’s first ‘Netflix for Cars’, a car subscription-based service; Singapore’s first life insurer chatbot, and Singapore’s first pay-as-you-drive insurance service. 

“I am delighted to join the Redhill team at a pivotal time in the company’s international growth. With several recent acquisitions, new service offerings, industry partnerships and a highly experienced core team, we have a strong foundation in place as we write the next chapter of our growth. I look forward to imparting my knowledge of the industry to help take the company to greater heights,” commented Seewal. 

Puthenparambil added, “She’s [well-positioned] to help the company execute on our international expansion plans while driving operational improvements. I am delighted to welcome Manisha to our team.”

Redhill has been ramping up its growth in the past year with a slew of new team hires and a couple of acquisitions such as video production company VS Story. 

For MARKETECH APAC’s Empowered Women series this 2021, Seewal was one of the women marketing leaders who sat down with us to share her leadership story and insights. 

In the conversation, she shared about the bias that is still ever-present for leaders like her in male-dominated spaces such as the automotive. 

“I think that’s the main reason why we need more women to join the industry so we can start changing the narrative,” Seewal said. 

Australia – Manisha Seewal, the chief marketing officer of Gumtree Australia, CarsGuide, and Autotrader Group Australia, has decided to leave her positions in all three companies, as she moves back home to Singapore.

In a LinkedIn post, Seewal reflected on her time spearheading the marketing function for 3 brands with a special focus on sustainability and automotive. 

Seewal shared that she has learnt a lot alongside some of the smartest colleagues in business and will take to heart the leadership values of being passionate and courageous while being empathetic and adaptable for her next adventure. 

“Now with the sale of the business being concluded, Gumtree is in very good hands of The Market Herald leadership team. I am confident that they will bring the business to greater heights,” she said.

In MARKETECH APAC’s recent Empowered Women Series last March 2022, we featured Seewal and her marketing journey and experience in overcoming preconceptions about all women working in the automotive industry.

In an interview with Manisha Seewal, chief marketing officer at Gumtree Australia, she shared her marketing journey and her experience in overcoming preconceptions about all women working in the automotive industry.

“It was my love for cars and technology that made me take a leap of faith and join Carro, which was a young startup in 2018. I wanted to be part of a change where we use data and technology to remove human bias from car buying and selling,” she shared in the ‘Empowered Women’ interview.

Manisha emphasised, “I think that’s the main reason why we need more women to join the industry so we can start changing the narrative.”

During the conversation with Manisha, we asked about her top leadership strategies in ensuring a successful marketing business of a brand, she shared, “[My] top leadership strategies are: Clarity in communication, leaning on your team and enabling them rather than being too prescriptive, owning up if we make a mistake – leaders are just normal people. We should not shy away from owning up if we make a wrong decision, call it out, learn from it and move on.”

“I think it’s important because as leaders, we lean a lot on our teams, to be able to buy into the vision that we have to be able to drive the strategies together and really grow the business together. So clarity and communication are important,” Manisha adds.

Listen to the full conversation with Manisha Seewal over on Spotify, where she discussed the changes in the automotive industry due to COVID-19. Hear her insights about trends that would shape the future and her advice for marketers who want to be part of the automotive industry. You may also view the highlights of the conversation on YouTube.

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