Aakash Bhardwaj

About Aakash Bhardwaj

Regional Marketing & Growth Leader with 14+ years of experience driving brand growth, go-to-market strategy, and marketing transformation across APAC and EMEA markets. Experience partnering with global brands including Visa, Cisco, and HP to scale multi-market marketing initiatives. I have partnered closely with Fortune 500 brands including Visa, Cisco, and HP, acting as an embedded strategic marketing partner to align brand, product, and commercial priorities across 14+ markets. My experience spans brand positioning, go-to-market (GTM) frameworks, omnichannel strategy, customer lifecycle marketing, annual operating planning (AOP), and scaling integrated marketing capabilities across diverse regional environments. Across roles, I have delivered measurable business outcomes including: • 30% uplift in brand recall • 18% improvement in marketing ROI • 20% efficiency gains on $50M+ media investments I have worked closely with CMOs, regional leadership teams, and cross-functional stakeholders to enable consistent execution, investment governance, and scalable growth across regional markets. My background combines agency leadership with a brand-owner mindset, with deep experience operating across regional and country markets to deliver high-impact marketing strategy, growth initiatives, and marketing transformation programs. I am open to brand-side leadership and strategic marketing roles in India as well as regional and global opportunities where I can help organizations scale brand impact, accelerate growth, strengthen customer lifecycle marketing, and lead marketing transformation initiatives. Core Strengths Regional Marketing Leadership | Marketing Strategy | Go-to-Market (GTM)| Brand & Growth Strategy | Omnichannel & Integrated Marketing | Customer Lifecycle Marketing | Demand Generation | Portfolio Marketing | Annual Operating Planning (AOP)| Media & Investment Strategy | Marketing Transformation | Digital Transformation | B2B & B2C Marketing | APAC & EMEA Market Expansion | C-Suite & Stakeholder Engagement Open to leadership opportunities in India and international markets including the UK, UAE, Netherlands, and Ireland.

Experience

1. Associate Director Regional Marketing & Gtm Strategy (Apac)

   Publicis Media

   Mar 2021 — Present · Gurugram, IN

   Acted as a strategic marketing partner to regional leadership, shaping growth priorities, investment strategy, and omnichannel GTM execution across APAC & EMEA markets. Leading regional marketing strategy and brand growth initiatives across APAC markets for global brands including Cisco and Visa.Led regional marketing and growth strategy across APAC for global brands including Visa and Cisco (agency-led engagements), aligning marketing with commercial, product, and sales priorities.Owned brand transformation and digital and omnichannel go-to-market (GTM) strategy across 14+ markets, driving integrated execution and scalable regional growth.Led Annual Operating Planning (AOP) and regional investment strategy, overseeing budget allocation, media investment planning, and performance governance across $5M+ annual budgets and influencing $50M+ in regional marketing investments across enterprise and consumer portfolios.Delivered measurable business outcomes, including a 30% uplift in brand recall, an 18% improvement in marketing ROI, and 20% efficiency gains through strategic optimisation and governance.Built and led cross-market teams across India, ANZ, and Southeast Asia, establishing scalable playbooks and operating models adopted across multiple markets.

Education

• Rajasthan Technical University

  Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Computer Science

  2006 — 2010

• Kirloskar Institute of Management (KIM)

  Post Graduate Diploma in Management, Operations and Marketing

  2011 — 2013

Skills

• Data Analysis
• Supply Chain Management
• Retargeting
• IT Operations
• Sas Certified Base Programmer
• Spss
• Online Marketing
• Operational Planning
• Asp.net
• Behavioral Targeting
• Digi
• Marketing Research
• Market Research
• Online Marketing Analysis
• Campaign Management
• Customer Relationship Management (Crm)
• Crm
• Analytics
• Business Strategy
• Business Analytics
• Sas Programming
• Microsoft Office
• Online Advertising
• Marketing
• Sas Business Intelligence
• Business Intelligence
• Operations Management
• Business Development
• Team Management
• Digital Marketing
• C++
• Business Analysis
• Competitive Analysis
• Sas
• Microsoft Excel
• Management
• Marketing Management
• Market Analysis
• Marketing Strategy
• Analysis