Resilience in Action_ How Neha Agarwal Navigates Crisis and Builds Teams.pdf

Neha Agarwal’s journey with Percept as a Vice President began at a pivotal point in her career—a moment when she was ready to move beyond executing campaigns and take on the challenge of shaping them.

1. Resilience in Action: How Neha Agarwal
Navigates Crisis and Builds Teams?

Neha Agarwal’s journey with Percept as a Vice President began at a pivotal point
in her career—a moment when she was ready to move beyond executing
campaigns and take on the challenge of shaping them. With formative
experiences at Hindustan Times and further refinement of her communication
skills at ICPAR Planman Marcom, she saw Percept as the ideal platform to blend
her passion for storytelling with her evolving leadership vision.
Bringing Ideas to Life
What truly drew Neha to a leadership role at Percept was not just the scale of the
projects, but the dynamic people and possibilities that came with them. From
high-profile assignments like the Commonwealth Games and International Film

2. Festival of India (IFFI) to the everyday hustle of managing client expectations,
her growth was both strategic and personal.
It wasn’t just about delivering impactful campaigns—it was about mentoring
teams, navigating real-time challenges, and watching ideas transform into
powerful brand narratives. For Neha, leadership at Percept has always been
about shared growth: empowering her teams while crafting campaigns that
authentically connect with audiences.
Calm Under Pressure
Throughout her career, Neha Agarwal has navigated the complex challenge of
managing diverse client expectations across a wide range of industries—all while
consistently delivering impactful results. Her experience has been shaped by
high-stakes moments, including her work during the Commonwealth Games,
where she was required to respond swiftly and strategically in crisis situations to
safeguard client reputations.
One of the defining aspects of her leadership journey has been building and
nurturing cohesive, high-performing teams. Neha understands that aligning
individual goals with an organization’s larger vision requires ongoing effort,
intentional mentoring, and a deep commitment to collaboration.
Where Collaboration Meets Results
Neha handles multiple challenges with a blend of clear communication, strategic
foresight, and her well-honed expertise in media relations and stakeholder
management. In crisis scenarios, she adopted a proactive approach—prioritizing
transparency, swift decision-making, and calm leadership under pressure.
Her team-building philosophy centers on empowerment, innovation, and
accountability—creating a culture where people are encouraged to lead with

3. purpose. These experiences have equipped Neha with a deep sense of resilience,
adaptability, and a belief that true success lies in collective effort. These qualities
have been instrumental in driving sustainable growth for both her teams and her
clients.
Empowering through Quality and Collaboration
As a Vice President, Neha Agarwal’s leadership philosophy is grounded in clarity,
collaboration, and empowerment. She believes in setting clear, achievable goals,
providing her teams with the guidance they need, and then trusting them to
deliver with creativity, ownership, and accountability. For Neha, leadership isn’t
about control—it’s about creating the conditions for others to thrive.
Her approach is shaped by three core qualities: resilience, adaptability, and
relationship-building. Resilience has enabled her to navigate complex challenges
with composure and focus. Adaptability has kept her open to innovation and
emerging industry trends, allowing her to evolve alongside a rapidly changing
communications landscape. And through strong relationship-building, she has
fostered deep connections with both clients and team members, earning
long-term trust and collaboration. These principles have guided Neha in her role leading the Delhi branch of
Percept, where she has played a key role in strengthening the company’s brand
communications, cultivating enduring client partnerships across sectors, and
spearheading campaigns that align with a strategic, impact-driven vision.
Strategic Leadership in Public Relations
At Percept, Neha Agarwal’s focus has been on shaping a strategic vision for the
PR division that aligns with the company’s broader business objectives, all while
ensuring the team delivers client-centric and innovative solutions. By setting
ambitious yet achievable goals and empowering her team with clear direction,

4. she has enabled them to craft impactful communication strategies that resonate
across industries.
A cornerstone of her approach has been building strong client relationships
through consistent engagement with top management. By understanding
sector-specific needs, she has been able to design tailored strategies that not only
ensure client satisfaction but also foster long-term partnerships and repeat
business.
Key Achievements and Strategies

●​Forging long-term partnerships: Secured the Madhya Pradesh Tourism
Board mandate for two consecutive terms, providing over a decade of
trusted service.

5. ●​Broadening the client portfolio: Successfully expanded into new sectors
including Hospitality, FMCG, Real Estate, Health, and Travel, which
boosted revenue and market presence.
●​Showcasing crisis communication expertise: Led communication
strategies during high-stakes events like the Commonwealth Games to
protect reputation and stakeholder trust.
●​Championing niche sectors: Partnered with ATTA to bring
AdventureNEXT to India, significantly increasing visibility within
adventure tourism.
●​Empowering internal teams: Led the Delhi branch by fostering a
collaborative, innovation-driven culture that cultivated high-performing
teams.
●​Bolstering brand reputation: Directed corporate communications that
fueled Percept’s expansion and solidified its market position.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate a leadership style that combines strategy,
creativity, and adaptability, establishing Percept as a reliable and
forward-thinking communications partner in a highly competitive industry.
Future of Communications
In 2025, Neha Agarwal believes that digital-first communication, AI-driven
content strategies, and data-led storytelling will become even more central to the
PR and communications sector. As audiences increasingly consume news and
narratives on digital platforms, she sees personalization, real-time engagement,
and measurable impact as key differentiators. At Percept, she is spearheading
investments in digital media capabilities, upskilling teams in emerging tools, and
leveraging AI and analytics to craft more targeted, impactful campaigns. Her
focus is on blending creativity with technology to ensure brands not only stay
relevant but also build deeper, more authentic connections with their
stakeholders.
Trusted Communications Partner

6. ●​Secured the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board’s (MPTB) mandate for two
consecutive terms, providing 10 years of service.
●​Partnered with the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) to bring
AdventureNEXT to Bhopal, boosting adventure tourism in India.
●​Led public relations for the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships in
Bhubaneswar.
●​Coordinated PR for the 46th International Film Festival of India,
enhancing its visibility in Goa.
●​Managed crisis communications for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
The Cornerstone of Success
Neha Agarwal’s advice for those in the industry is simple: embrace curiosity, stay
authentic, and never stop learning. She emphasizes that in public relations and
communications, credibility and trust are the strongest assets, so it’s essential to

7. lead with integrity and empathy. Adaptability is equally critical, she notes, as the
industry evolves rapidly with new technology and shifting audience expectations.
If she were to write an open letter, it would be a reminder that success in this
field isn’t about quick wins, but about building long-term relationships and
creating meaningful impact.
A Journey of Resilience
Like many working women, Neha Agarwal has faced her share of
challenges—managing expectations, breaking stereotypes, and proving herself in
male-dominated spaces. As a young mother, her choices were often questioned,
but she turned that scrutiny into motivation to work harder and stay focused.
She has been fortunate to have the support of family, mentors, and colleagues
who trusted her abilities. Over time, she has learned to take both criticism and
encouragement in stride, which has made her more resilient and grounded. To
maintain balance, she relies on simple habits: starting her day early, planning
priorities, and making time for exercise or reflection. These routines help her stay
productive while ensuring she is present in both her personal and professional
life. A Legacy of Impact
Neha Agarwal hopes her legacy will be about making communications more
authentic, innovative, and impactful. For the industry, her goal is to show how
public relations can go beyond traditional boundaries by embracing digital
transformation and data-driven storytelling while still keeping creativity at its
core.
For her team, she wants to leave behind a culture of confidence and collaboration
where people feel empowered to think differently, take ownership, and grow as

8. leaders in their own right. And for the larger business community, she hopes her
work reinforces that communications is not just about visibility, but about
building trust, relationships, and long-term value.
Award-Winning PR & Communications Professional

●​Feathers Touch – Women Super Achievers Category (Media and Public
Relations)
●​MadX Summit & Awards – Best PR and Corporate Communication
(Agency award)
●​Agency Reporter 5th Edition – SHE Awards
●​Indian Television – Wonder Women Awards
●​Power Moms in Comms – Power Woman Awards
●​BW Marketing World – Comms 40 Under 40 Award
●​Campaign India – PR Professional of the Year (Agency)
●​E4M Women Achievers Award – Emerging Leader in PR category

9. ●​National Feather Award – Women Super Achiever in Media and Public
Relations
●​E4M PR & Corporate Communication – 40 Under 40 Award
●​Percept Profile Wins the Stakes 2023 – PR and Communications
Excellence Award
●​Agency Reporter’s – 40 Under 40 (2023)
●​Fortune India – 40 Under 40 Women Award