MUMBAI:  High-flying marketing strategist Varun Thakar has nabbed a plum position as director of brand marketing at fintech powerhouse Razorpay, after catapulting travel major Cleartrip into the second spot in India's cutthroat online travel market.

The Cannes Lion winner, who took up his new role this month, brings a blistering track record of brand transformations and marketing wizardry to the payment processing giant.

During his three-year stint at Cleartrip, Thakar worked marketing miracles, masterminding a spectacular brand relaunch that sent top-of-mind awareness rocketing from a measly seven per cent to a respectable 18 per cent while consideration scores nearly doubled from 32 per cent  to 58 per cent.

The marketing maverick, who wielded a hefty budget at Cleartrip, orchestrated the company's first-ever big billion day campaign, roping in celebrities for a multi-channel blitz that delivered the brand's highest-ever share of voice.

"Thakar's magic touch was evident in the wildly successful #ORTRAVELONCLEARTRIP campaign, which saw brand mentions surge by an eye-watering 2000  per cent," said an industry observer.

Before making waves in the travel sector, Thakar cut his teeth at beverage behemoth AB InBev, where he drove Budweiser's brand power growth to record levels and spearheaded four 360-degree campaigns with a wallet-busting budget.

The Goa Institute of Management alumnus also spent five years at adhesives giant Pidilite, managing its pipe joining portfolio  and delivering impressive top-line revenue growth of 23 per cent.

As Razorpay looks to cement its position in India's digital payments landscapeit will  be banking on Thakar's proven knack for sticking his brand messages where they count and brewing up advertising campaigns that leave competitors feeling distinctly flat.