MUMBAI: Hakuhodo Percept has appointed Jayanto Banerjee as national planning director.

Banerjee will be working closely with agency leaders across all major brands and clients handled by the agency.

Based at the agency‘s Delhi office, he will be responsible for guiding the planning function, as well as spearheading "I-HPPL discovery", the consumer knowledge and centre that focuses on understanding youth in India.

Hakuhodo Percept executive director Elvis Sequeira said, "At Hakuhodo Percept, we place huge emphasis on multi-talented, versatile professionals. And Banjo is a shining example of someone who can partner our clients brilliantly. Apart from his planning experience Banjo also brings with him the experience of heading agency offices, the experience of starting a digital and PR set up from scratch and the experience of having worked across five cities in India and Middle East. With Banjo‘s arrival and several key talented people in place, Hakuhodo Percept‘s transformation into a powerhouse of knowledge, strategy and creativity is now complete."

Banerjee has over 19 years of experience in senior management, strategic planning and client servicing across Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Dubai and Muscat. He has been the regional planning director of Euro RSCG in the Middle East, and headed integrated agency offices in Dubai, Muscat and Delhi.

He started his career with Lintas in 1993. He has also worked with Euro RSCG and Bates 141 for FMCG, automotive, consumer durables, airline, banking, insurance, retail, technology, hospitality and pharmaceutical brands.