Anish Varghese: A Commemorated Digital Leader Spearheading Organizations towards Unprecedented Heights
Anish Varghese
Chief Creative Officer
Anish Varghese is one such visionary leader in digital advertising, who has been operational and led organizations towards greater heights. Anish Varghese possesses more than 2 decades of industry experience, having held several prominent roles in organizations, and is currently the steward of governance at Liqvd Asia as Chief Creative Officer. In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Anish Varghese walks us through his professional journey as well as the distinct facets of Liqvd Asia.
Take us through your educational & professional background? What drew you to the position of Chief Creative Officer at Liqvd Asia?
I come from an engineering background and switched to the creative field since I realized that engineering was not my field. So I took a different path and discovered that advertising was my true calling. That's when it all began, and from there, it was a gradual progression. I never took any courses for it; it was the pool of knowledge I amassed and the knowledge I acquired from work experience that got me going in this creative vocation.
Prior to joining Liqvd Asia as Chief Creative Officer, I served as a Senior Creative Director at Interactive
Avenues, a part of IPG Media brands, and subsequently as Chief Creative Officer at Isobar. In my last two stints, Interactive Avenues and Isobar, I was part of the growth phase of the company from the initial years to where they are today.
And, after eight years at Isobar, I felt I had done my bit, accomplished what I wanted for the company, and was ready to accept more challenges and advance my career so I took the role of Chief Creative Officer at Liqvd Asia.
Define Liqvd Asia as an organization and its current position in the industry?
Liqvd Asia is an idea first agency for a digital world that has been in the market for a decade, accomplishing several amazing award-winning campaigns. We are not a platform led agency, but rather an idea-led firm with a solution-led approach. We don't focus on specific platforms or mediums, but on the broader notion for that particular challenge which gives us an edge over the other peers in the market. It’s a connected world; we stretch our brains to identify the right touch points and solutions to build a bonding. For digital natives, our output will be an experience with the creative use of technology. We want people to remember the experience, that’s how we quantify brand affinity.
Tell us about the challenges you encountered on your professional journey and the success mantra that has enabled you to arrive at positive outcomes?
Finding the right responses to awkward discussions or queries that come up while ensuring the project is approved or that whatever talks we're having are accurate has been one of the pressing challenges in my professional career thus far. The key to success, in my experience, is to observe and pick up skills fordealing with each of those things. I keep an eye on things, people, my peers, and my mentors, which also help me to attain the human insights or nuances I need for the campaigns I'm working on. In a nutshell, my success mantra is to compile all of your observations, research them, put them all together, and incorporate those key takeaways for better prospects.
Being the CCO, how do you plan to apply your exceptional understanding of this domain to LiqvdAsia? What values do you instill in your team to help them
My success mantra is to compile all of your observations, research them, put them all together,and incorporate those key takeaways for better prospects
Define Liqvd Asia as an organization and its current position in the industry?
Liqvd Asia is an idea first agency for a digital world that has been in the market for a decade, accomplishing several amazing award-winning campaigns. We are not a platform led agency, but rather an idea-led firm with a solution-led approach. We don't focus on specific platforms or mediums, but on the broader notion for that particular challenge which gives us an edge over the other peers in the market. It’s a connected world; we stretch our brains to identify the right touch points and solutions to build a bonding. For digital natives, our output will be an experience with the creative use of technology. We want people to remember the experience, that’s how we quantify brand affinity.
Tell us about the challenges you encountered on your professional journey and the success mantra that has enabled you to arrive at positive outcomes?
Finding the right responses to awkward discussions or queries that come up while ensuring the project is approved or that whatever talks we're having are accurate has been one of the pressing challenges in my professional career thus far. The key to success, in my experience, is to observe and pick up skills fordealing with each of those things. I keep an eye on things, people, my peers, and my mentors, which also help me to attain the human insights or nuances I need for the campaigns I'm working on. In a nutshell, my success mantra is to compile all of your observations, research them, put them all together, and incorporate those key takeaways for better prospects.
Being the CCO, how do you plan to apply your exceptional understanding of this domain to LiqvdAsia? What values do you instill in your team to help them
focus on the organization's primary goal?
Having worked in the industry for more than 2 decades, I bring in a wealth of expertise through my associations with large networks not just within India but also on the international front. So, I’d like to implement the knowledge and idea into a lot of processes, ensuring that the output is better and stronger.
My whole career has been driven by the aim of transforming agencies and building a complete culture of creativity. I don’t believe in treating the creative team as a mere department, they are the nucleus and to be in harmony with all the departments. My style of leadership reflects collaborative nature.I work in a collaborative manner with the team and seek to make them feel comfortable, heard, and acknowledged. While I hold a senior executive designation in the organization, I'm open to incorporating ideas of any team member be it the junior most team member. If I feel it's a brilliant concept, I'll make sure it gets developed and advanced while also giving the person responsible the proper credit. I always want to empower the team and make sure that as I develop, my team also does.
Based on your strong professional experience what advice would you give to the upcoming leaders in the same industry?
Anyone who genuinely aspires to succeed in the creative realm and hold a position of prominence must always enhance their skills and keep evolving. Some professionals are very at ease in their roles, but if they want to step up their game and hold significant positions within the organization, they must comprehend the management's vision and collaborate with them to ensure that the team advances to the next level.
Anish Varghese, Chief Creative Officer, Liqvd Asia
An engineer turned creative professional by passion, who took his knowledge and working experience towards creating a name for himself in the industry. He possesses more than 2decades of industry experience, having held several prominent roles in organizations & is currently the steward of governance at Liqvd Asia as Chief Creative Officer.
•Hobbies:Watching movies Favorite Travel
•Destination:Vienna, Austria
•Favorite Cuisine:Indian
Having worked in the industry for more than 2 decades, I bring in a wealth of expertise through my associations with large networks not just within India but also on the international front. So, I’d like to implement the knowledge and idea into a lot of processes, ensuring that the output is better and stronger.
My whole career has been driven by the aim of transforming agencies and building a complete culture of creativity. I don’t believe in treating the creative team as a mere department, they are the nucleus and to be in harmony with all the departments. My style of leadership reflects collaborative nature.I work in a collaborative manner with the team and seek to make them feel comfortable, heard, and acknowledged. While I hold a senior executive designation in the organization, I'm open to incorporating ideas of any team member be it the junior most team member. If I feel it's a brilliant concept, I'll make sure it gets developed and advanced while also giving the person responsible the proper credit. I always want to empower the team and make sure that as I develop, my team also does.
Based on your strong professional experience what advice would you give to the upcoming leaders in the same industry?
Anyone who genuinely aspires to succeed in the creative realm and hold a position of prominence must always enhance their skills and keep evolving. Some professionals are very at ease in their roles, but if they want to step up their game and hold significant positions within the organization, they must comprehend the management's vision and collaborate with them to ensure that the team advances to the next level.
Anish Varghese, Chief Creative Officer, Liqvd Asia
An engineer turned creative professional by passion, who took his knowledge and working experience towards creating a name for himself in the industry. He possesses more than 2decades of industry experience, having held several prominent roles in organizations & is currently the steward of governance at Liqvd Asia as Chief Creative Officer.
•Hobbies:Watching movies Favorite Travel
•Destination:Vienna, Austria
•Favorite Cuisine:Indian