Sandeep Madan: Ad guru who’d kill for his dogs

He brought into the company a new ethos of creative communications that influences life by sparking conversations.

This mantra is reproduced in their snazzy new-look office deco, and emblazoned on walls. His office, where we meet, has an impressive collection of miniature vintage cars dating back 100 years. He’s recklessly sincere, outspoken and undefined by convention. A true ad man.

Which character in the TV series Mad Men is closest to Sandeep?

(Grimacing) None of them. Those guys were from a different era and they did things differently. For instance, account management was about fixing, done excellently by Roger Sterling and delivered brilliantly by Don Draper. The world has since changed, and so has such advertising roles. I love the show even though season six is boring.

What’s your plan for Scanad in a thumbnail?

It stems from my fear; that will the world remember the work we do here? We aren’t into the business of launching rockets into space, but we influence lives. I’m a backstage person, and backstage people are only known by other backstage people. The challenge for me is to get my team to be hungry for fame. Real fame.

Let’s talk cars…

Cars are my passion. I used to be a rally driver;

I did the Himalayan Car Rally, the second toughest circuit after the Paris-Dakar. These cars I have collected mark an innovation that defined every decade.

I have cars dating back from before the Nazi era and the designs that changed the world. The only car I haven’t managed to get here is the Ford Woody.

What do you drive now?

A jeep, the Grand Cherokee. Silver. They didn’t have it in my colour- black – so I settled for silver. Black is a great colour that signifies many conflicting reactions and emotions.

It’s Henry Ford who said, “You can have a car in any colour as long as it’s black.”

What does your Cherokee say about you?

That I’m an outdoors person who loves driving off road. I have driven in almost all roads in Kenya, there are very few roads I don’t know, even the small back roads. The only roads I don’t know are in Turkana and Garissa.

I’m not a speed thriller, sport cars aren’t for me. I’m a free spirit, a traveller, I use new roads and I hate following anyone - be it professionally or socially. I want to be ahead.

So if you came back in the next life as a car, what car would you be?

This old Chevrolet Suburban that I don’t think they manufacture anymore. Or, a Hummer. I’m the kind of guy who wants to go anywhere, unrestricted.

Married with kids?

Yes, married with four, four-legged kids.

Uhm, four legged?

Yes, I have four dogs. The dogs are our children. We are passionate about them. We treat them as we would treat our own human children.

What? you take them to dinner and to the movies?

(Chuckles) No, it’s about love and quality time. We give them the best, in fact the only thing we don’t do is take them to school but we take them to the playground, give them the best medical attention and diet. They are family.

You aren’t one of those people who dress up dogs, are you?

(Smiles) Not at all. But animals need a good environment to stay healthy. I spend more on those dogs than I spend on myself every month. They are royalty, we are their servants.

So they sleep in a room with a television?

No, they sleep with us, in our bedroom. One sleeps in our bed and the other three sleep in various places in the room.

Amazing stuff! What breed are they and do you have pictures?

We have an Italian Neapolitan Mastiff, two are Boxers and one is a Pug. [He shows me a picture of the Mastiff on his phone.]

He has red eyes and looks so damned sad!

(Laughs) It’s a look we enjoy, a look that gets him the royal treatment.

So how much are these dogs collectively?

You can’t place a price on your child, now can you? They are priceless.

Away from dogs, er, children. Who are your greatest influences?

They are three. First; my wife, and I’m not being politically-correct. She is a great support system. Second, a close friend called Param. He taught me the value of looking at people’s strength in form of complementary and not supplementary skills. Lastly, Steve Jobs.

What would you like to change about your life?

I would like to learn the multiple cultures that I engage with professionally, which means I would like to find time to read books about them.

But not only their official languages but their informal languages as well. I would also like to have a grasp of sheng. And the local languages in Ghana. (Thoughtfully) That’s a good question, Biko, it has helped me put those needs into perspective.

What are your greatest flaws as a leader?

I’m too involved in the processes. I come across as a micro-manager, and I should learn to let my team execute. I’m working on it.

What do you do with your free time?

I’m a television freak. I download movies and shows and block out the world; no calls, no nothing. Complete vegetation. I just got back to squash after 15 years. Golf is lost on me.

Are you spiritual?

I don’t follow one religion. I have opinions on branches of religion that purport to direct faithfuls to God. Question we should be asking is, what gives us peace? For me, it’s friends and family.

So are you religious?

No.

What do you blow your money on?

Gadgets. I will buy gadgets without a thought. And, of course, those miniature cars. I also collect single-malt whisky. The most unique bottle I have is Lagavulin, 16 years.

I’m sorry, but I have to go back to that dog story one last time. Are you planning on having human children?

I don’t know. It’s something we have discussed with my wife and not come to a conclusion. That discussion is still on.

Are you afraid that when you pass on without kids your legacy will die with you because, really, your dogs won’t carry it?

Not at all.