Nirav Manek

About

The short version.

Portrait of Nirav Manek

Digital marketing professional, 14 years across agency and client roles, specialising in paid media across European and global markets. Based in Munich, originally from Mumbai. Right now I'm working out what AI means for the industry rather than just talking about it, because for marketers, sitting on the fence isn't much of an option.

How I got here

My move from Mumbai to Munich wasn't a grand plan. It evolved through decisions I made for different reasons at different times, each one quietly pointing in this direction. Looking back, I can see how the dots connected, from admiring German engineering as a kid, to working for a German brand, to eventually building my life in Germany. It makes total sense now. It just didn't at the time.

I started in agencies, Omnicom and GroupM, learning digital marketing on the job while understanding how media moves people and businesses. Full funnel, all paid channels: search, social, display, video, native, programmatic. I also contributed to owned assets and other parts of digital marketing along the way. Working with giants like Unilever and Colgate-Palmolive taught me that a good brief is just the starting point. The real value you bring to a room is curiosity, the willingness to ask questions that might sound silly, and the discipline to follow both with quality work.

The client side at BSH gave me scale. In India first, owning all aspects of digital marketing including e-commerce in a lean setup, collaborating with experts across different skillsets internally and externally. That opened the door to my global role: 25+ markets, 300–400 ad accounts, a global Google partnership. That kind of complexity either overwhelms you or broadens how you think about teams and business. I'd like to think it was the latter.

How I work

I ask a lot of questions before forming opinions. I care more about whether something works than how impressive it sounds. I have high standards for quality, my own first, then the work around me.

I can be called a specialist for a couple of channels, but I'd rather be known as a generalist with depth, most useful when working on solutions for the larger picture. It complements my personality of being solution-oriented.

My guiding principles haven't changed in years: Common Sense and a Sense of Ownership. Not glamorous, may sound old school, but they've served me well, professionally and personally.

On AI and where this is all going

I'll be honest: I find a lot of the current conversation around AI in marketing exhausting. There's a lot of noise, a lot of people performing expertise rather than demonstrating it, a lot of content generated to be seen rather than to be useful. I'm trying not to add to that.

What I am doing is paying close attention, staying curious, trying my hand at different use cases, and forming my own views slowly. I think the people who will navigate this well are the ones who understand the fundamentals deeply enough to know where AI really helps, and more importantly, not to follow its output blindly without cross-checking and applying judgement.

Beyond the work

I live in Munich with my two cats, Gabbar (female) and Gogo (male). Named after iconic Bollywood characters, and somehow both have grown into their names entirely. Gabbar is exactly who you'd expect. Gogo is considerably more relaxed about everything. They were adopted back in India and have, according to my friends and relatives, absolutely made it in life.

Spending time with Gabbar, Gogo, and some community animals during Covid quietly changed something in me. That gradual shift eventually led me to go vegan, something I didn't plan or announce. It just became the only consistent thing to do given what I care about. Animal welfare matters to me, and I try to carry that same balanced, considered approach into most areas of life: work, health, everything else.

Also, Bavaria is good for the outdoors, and I try to make the most of the summers, mostly by visiting the lakes and on hiking trails.

I'm a Libran, which might explain the instinct for balance. Or it might just be a coincidence. I haven't decided.

If any of this sounds like someone you'd want to work with, or just have a conversation with, my email is on the contact page.

Experience

Where I've worked

European Business Director

Havas Media Network

Frankfurt, Germany · Jul 2025 – Dec 2025

Global Search Engine Ads (SEA) Lead / Manager

BSH Home Appliances Group

Munich, Germany · Jan 2021 – Jun 2025

Deputy Manager, Digital Marketing

BSH Household Appliances

Mumbai, India · Aug 2018 – Dec 2020

Business Group Head, Digital Marketing

Red Fuse Communications (GroupM)

Mumbai, India · Oct 2015 – Aug 2018

Earlier roles

PHD (Omnicom), RK Swamy BBDO, WORLDIGITAL, entrepreneurship

India · Oct 2008 – Sep 2015

For the full history and current updates, find me on LinkedIn.

Skills

  • Multi-Channel Digital Media Strategy & Performance Marketing
  • Paid Search (SEA), Social & Programmatic (Display, Video, Native)
  • E-commerce Marketing / D2C
  • Team Leadership & Cross-Market Coordination
  • Agency & Vendor Management
  • Strategic Insights, Analytics & Reporting
  • GenAI Tools & AI-first Mindset, hands-on with Claude, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini
  • Vibe Coding, built this site end-to-end
  • CRM & SEO
  • Website / Content Management

Languages

  • EnglishBusiness fluent
  • GermanA1 certified, A2 in progress
  • Hindi, Marathi, GujaratiNative / fluent

Certifications

  • Developing Emerging Leaders, INSEAD
  • AI Fluency: Framework and Foundations (Anthropic)
  • Google Ads certifications (Search, Shopping, Performance Ads, Analytics, DV360)
  • Google Ads Apps
  • Amazon Ads Foundations
  • Amazon DSP