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From D.C. to Gurgaon: Judith Ostronic on Moving to Genesis B-M

DI Vice President Judith Ostronic recently took an incredible opportunity to serve the larger Burson-Marsteller family as the chief marketing officer for Genesis B-M in Gurgaon, India. As a native Washingtonian, Judith’s new post promises endless opportunities – both personal and professional. Read her recent interview with B-M, where she discussed her new role and new home:

How did you decide you wanted to work in India?
I had been interested in at least visiting India for some time. It’s hard to access any news source these days without coming across a story about India. As the world’s second largest population and growing, India is a global player commanding international attention. This is an exciting part of the world that is rapidly evolving and I really wanted to see and experience that growth first hand.

How did you go about transferring to Genesis B-M?
Burson-Marsteller’s global presence means new opportunities for team members all over the world. In my case, I had read about opportunities at Genesis B-M and opened the dialogue with Human Resources. I also had the benefit of working at Direct Impact where individual professional development is a large part of the culture. It helps when you can be open about pursuing a new opportunity and know it’s not jeopardizing the position you currently hold. I was fortunate to have the support of those around me and it made for a really smooth transition.

What is your role with Genesis B-M? What are your responsibilities?
As Chief Marketing Officer, I serve as the head of both marketing and new business development for Genesis B-M. I’ll be working closely with Prema Sagar, Founder and Principal of Genesis B-M, as well as the practice chairs to put a strategy in place that ensures we are capitalizing on every client opportunity. We’re seeing more prospects everyday as new companies continue to invest in emerging markets, particularly here in India.
In addition to new business, I’ll focus on increasing Genesis B-M’s visibility and leveraging our position as India’s leading integrated communications firm. We are seeing more competition here every day as companies expand their operations, so the field is a bit more crowded than it was five or ten years ago. Positioning Genesis B-M as an industry leader will be essential as the communications industry begins to keep pace with India’s overall growth.

What do you most look forward to in your new role?
I am excited by the growth opportunities. I have arrived at a pivotal time when things are moving quickly – at Genesis B-M as well as in India. I look forward to working with our Asia affiliates and increasing my knowledge of the people and clients served across B-M’s Asia Pacific network.

What do you most look forward to experiencing in India?
My decision to come to India was primarily a career choice but also a personal one; so I’m looking forward to settling in here and experiencing Indian culture and its people. Gurgaon is also home to a large community of expats, and I have already begun meeting people from all over the world. I’ve only been here a short time, but already there is so much to see and do. It’s truly incredible.