Tell us about yourself, your background and what you do currently
I was born and raised in London and graduated from City Universitywith a BSC degree in Sociology and Media Studies. As soon as I had completed my education I joined the family business in 2004. I sometimes wish I started much earlier!
My mother, Teji Singh, originally established the business over 20 years ago. She was one of the first women from an ethnic background to setup an international communications agency in the UK and now having passed the baton to me; I am committed to extending the legacy of the brand she has built up.
As the company’s MD and CEO, my role extends to covering both strategy and operations, not just at Sterling Media, the international communications consultancy, but also across our other businesses, include Sterling Realty and Sterling 2 Ent, a film and entertainment fund focused on production, distribution and content monetisation.
Tell us about any current projects or initiatives you wish to promote
My team and I are delighted that we have had the opportunity to be instrumental in conceptualising and bringing to life creative, effective and strategic campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands. I am currently spearheading the India strategy for the United Nations’ Global Goals campaign, which aims to raise awareness of the new sustainable development goals agreed by 193 world leaders in September 2015 to every single citizen in India. I am also campaigning for the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation to promote healthy eating, especially amongst India’s youth.
We have a number of Indian film and A-List talent related campaigns we are working on internationally including in India.
As part of our mission to promote India inc, we are working on promoting an India tech fund internationally as well as the broader “invest in India” narrative for a leading wealth management firm in London. We are also soon launching an innovative entertainment app, which is set to disrupt the social media landscape.
What has been your biggest challenge in achieving your success?
Even though London is a multi-cultural and cosmopolitan city, when I started my career it was not very common to see highly successful Indian females in the communications sector. Also, the media sector was, and still is, quite male-dominated. So I guess it was a case of double discrimination. These factors may seem intimidating for a starter but they were also my drivers. The same went for my mother – she always converted challenges into opportunities.
In terms of gender equality in the workplace, strides have been made but even in Western world, inequalities still exist in terms of there being a limited number of women holding top tier positions within companies right through to the on-going issue of gender pay gaps.
As for my Indian heritage, ironically I faced the most amount of discrimination from Indian peers and clients who, because of my Indian heritage, had the perception that I only worked with clients of Indian origin or that my work only extended to the Indian Diaspora!
But again I have used this as an opportunity. As an Indian at heart, born and raised in London, I have experienced and communicated India’s success story through both an international and national lens.
What has been your greatest achievement personally?
It would definitely be being the India Director of the Global Goals campaign. I am honoured to have been bestowed the responsibility of taking Global Goals to billion citizens in India.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing?
I don’t see myself doing anything else.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
My mother. When she started the company, it was with a computer, a cell phone and two assistants.
What does the future hold for you?
I believe in the power of communications to uplift a brand. Being a brand power expert myself, I believe that brand visibility has reached
a phenomenal level in an increasingly globalized world. As macrocosmic implications continue to connect brands to the world, it is more imperative than ever to ensure a brand’s messaging. Campaigns require being more globally aware and confining oneself to regional boundaries is a liability. While this ethos is great for a brand’s equity value,
it also means that campaigns and marketing strategies need to speak to an ever-wider potential audience and connect with them in their respective socio-cultural and linguistic codes.
Hence my vision is to bring the brands I work with closer to their purpose. My passion is to work with brands globally, and I especially enjoys promoting those brands which need that extra lift. I believe in cause related marketing and strives for the interests of the ethnic minority communities in the UK as well as globally.
My future plans is committed to championing global issues pertaining to poverty, good health, gender equality and quality education specifically, and converging our rolodex of contacts and areas of expertise across media, celebrity, government and corporate sectors to create impact. I recently took on the role of India Director for an initiative conceived by renowned filmmaker and charity activist Richard Curtis, The Global Goals campaign. The campaign, conceived in collaboration with the United Nations, aims to promote The Global Goals for Sustainable Development to the seven billion citizens of planet Earth. And it is my mission to make these goals reach out to 1.27 billion Indians.
About Natasha Mudhar
Natasha Mudhar, dynamic young entrepreneur, born and brought up in London who started her entrepreneurial journey at an early age in 2004 when she joined her family business, Sterling Group which is a multi-disciplinary business house with interests in media, entertainment, finance and real estate.
Natasha took over and sculpted Sterling Media, one of the companies within Sterling Group, into a strategic business and communications consultancy with an international footprint, representing corporate, consumer brands, charities, countries, celebrities, and global leaders. In just over 10 years Natasha has taken Sterling Media to the position of being a leading independent owned communications agency, with a widespread presence internationally.
Today, Sterling is a high-profile, award-winning international communications and brand consultancy, which is responsible for pioneering several industry firsts and capturing the public’s imagination with its incisive, thought-provoking and relevant campaigns.
The business was originally established by Natasha’s mother Teji Singh 20 years ago this year. Teji was the first woman from an ethnic background to set-up a communications agency in the UK. From its very inception, Sterling Media focused on identifying and tapping new markets and sectors, and has been pivotal in placing its clients at the forefront both throughout the UK as well as internationally.
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