Ruder Finn, a New York based leading independent communications and integrated marketing agency, has promoted Indian American tech executive Tejas Totade to Global Chief Technology Officer and Chief Data & AI Officer.
Totade’s elevation establishes a global leadership role that brings the agency’s technology, data and artificial intelligence capabilities under a shared strategic vision, the company announced Nov. 2.
Noting that Totade has built a strong digital, analytics and engineering team with several dozen specialists in hubs across India, the Philippines, and New York, the company said the move reflects the growing connection of these disciplines across both Ruder Finn’s business and client work.
In his expanded role, Totade will widen access to tools and training in every region and build the architecture that supports the agency’s AI capabilities end to end. The global mandate formalizes work he has led across markets over the past year, including AI strategy and adoption programs in India and the U.K.
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“The greatest opportunity comes when we work together choosing the right technology, grounding it in data, and applying AI to solve a real business problem,” said Totade. “This role gives us an opportunity to create that shared vision globally and help our teams and clients translate the enormous potential of AI into measurable value.”
“Ruder Finn has always believed that technology should expand what communicators are able to accomplish, and Tejas has been central to building that capability within our agency,” said Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO of Ruder Finn. “As technology, data and AI become increasingly interconnected, we’re committed to bringing the most cutting edge AI capabilities to clients, under the leadership of Tejas.”
Ruder Finn has also appointed Nick Driver as Managing Director, Research and Analytics, reporting to Totade. With 20 years of experience applying insight and analytics to complex challenges, Driver will lead research and analytics in the U.S, working across practices and client teams to advance audience intelligence, AI-driven insights, and measurement. He will also help strengthen the connection between strategy and technology, with a focus on developing more rigorous, practice-specific approaches and demonstrating the business impact of communications.
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Together, these appointments further build out the leadership and expertise supporting Ruder Finn’s integrated approach to technology, data and AI, according to the company.
Totade has spent more than 16 years at Ruder Finn building the agency’s technology, data and AI capabilities. He joined the company as a senior developer and went on to establish rf.TechLab, Ruder Finn’s emerging technology incubator, in 2018.
He currently leads an international team spanning engineering, analytics and digital development, co-leads the agency’s AI-powered creative studio rf.Studio53, and oversees research and insights capabilities that combine proprietary methodologies with enterprise analytics tools.
He has received significant industry recognition, including PRWeek’s “40 Under 40”, PRovoke Media’s Data Professional of the Year award and being named one of the PRNews People of the Year in the Agency Innovators.