Sam Balsara
Chairman & MD - Madison World
'Panel Discussion : An ounce in name of commission, tons of expectations, Reasonability questioned'
“A slight man who performs giant deeds and has decades of achievement behind him”, says The Brand Reporter, (a marketing magazine in India) describing Sam Balsara. The magazine further says, Unassuming, affable, and a charmer, the soft spoken Sam as he is referred to, is currently the head of the completely Indian owned Madison World, which has 24 units across 10 specialized functions in Advertising, Media, Business Analytics, PR, Out-of-Home, Rural, Retail, Entertainment, Events and Sports Management. Over the past 24 years, Madison has grown to become a Rs. 30 billion company, employing over 1,000 communication experts, with offices in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Madison World handles blue chip clients like Godrej, Airtel, Cadbury, TVS, Marico, General Motors, ITC and many others.
Brand Equity Ad Agency Reckoner ranks Sam as “India’s Most Influential Media Person” for 6 consecutive years from 2006 till 2011 and also ranked Sam amongst the Top 10 Most Influential Person in Advertising” in 2011. Sam is also the recipient of the Advertising Agencies Association of India’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Ad Club of Kolkata’s Hall of Fame Award. Sam was also featured in Campaign’s Global Power List 2010 – a list of over 150 most influential people in media, marketing and advertising in the world.
Over the past decade, Sam headed almost every major industry committee or association in India. He served on the jury to judge the Media Lions awards at the Advertising Festival in Cannes and the Festival of Media, Valencia.
Sam is a regular speaker at various international conventions and awards.
Meet Sam, the man who works hard but parties even harder and lives in an 80-year old ancestral home in a remote suburb with his wife and two daughters.