Educational Experience
Post Graduate with specialization in Media Planning from Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad.

Bachelor of Dental Surgery, Mumbai University.

At MICA with her friends

Professional Experience
My professional life has been a mix of seemingly bizarre, but personally rewarding, career decisions. Soon after qualifying to be a dental surgeon, I joined the Army Dental Corps. Served a Short Service Commission and was released as a Captain.

In advertising, I did my management training at Trikaya Grey, Mumbai, then a short stint in O&M which I quit to head Rediffusion's media department in Bangalore. Since the last two years I am with The Mediaedge in Mumbai.

Job Profile
I am the Business head of a team working on an AOR account.

Advertising as career choice
After a few months of practicing as a dentist, it dawned on me that peering at people's mouths for a living (however cushy or lucrative it may be) was just not the way I wanted it. So though I loved my stint in the Indian Army, I decided not to take up a permanent commission.

Seema (extreme right) at Army Officer's training course in Lucknow

Back in the "civil" world, advertising was then beginning to boom. Media services were coming to their own, and this seemed to be my calling. However, instead of jumping into it as a greenhorn, I sat for the CAT exam, got selected for MICA and specialized in media planning.

Since then, by God's grace, there has been no looking back, and absolutely no regrets!!!

Current Advertising scenario
Advertising in India is as resilient as the Indian people - it has withstood all doomsday predictions and has been less affected by recessionary trends than its global partners.

Clients are now savvier, thus ensuring that advertising is more accountable and professional. And the ad agency is in reality becoming an important cog in the marketing wheel.

Right and wrong about current Advertising scenario
Avoidables: The dangerous trend of big fish swallowing the smaller ones, decisions being based on bottom lines, savings on media rates as the benchmark for performance, one-upmanship that some feel compelled to practise, high fragmentation of media, commissions being questioned, too much emphasis on numbers/research, brand endorsements by Indian cricket team.

Encouraging signs: Logo sizes becoming smaller, media TAs moving beyond client's wife and neighbour, media being given its due at last, brand endorsements by Aamir Khan.

At Redifussion, Bangalore

As far as bringing about a change in the ad world I would rather continue to let my work speak for me, and try to soften the numbers games with a few qualitative inputs.

Five years from now
Five years? Most probably, I would be out of the advertising world.

But ideally I would like to leave behind a world where there is healthy competition, where there is place for everyone, where the need to constantly look over the shoulder ceases to exist, where credit is given where it is due, and where media agencies, media vendors and clients are partners in the true sense.

Hobbies
I am a voracious reader (earlier of fiction, now of The Word). And when I am not sleeping, I am eating.

With her cat Sylvester

Idea of enjoyment
At work - winning an account and more importantly, keeping it. Working with my team. Getting a pat from the client. Striking a great deal.

Otherwise - going home to Goa, spending time with my family and God.