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Prasanth Kumar promoted to CEO of GroupM Asia as former CEO Sam Singh leaves for ByteDance

After just four months in as chief operating officer at GroupM, Prasanth Kumar has been promoted to CEO. His predecessor Sameer Singh has left for a senior role in ByteDance, famous for its Tik-Tok app.

Kumar is a GroupM veteran having first joined Maxus in 2004. He was the CEO of Mindshare India when it worked on assignments that expanded the remit of what could be expected from a media agency – for instance, the Six Pack Band campaign for Unilever’s Red Label tea powered by branded content from India’s first pop group composed entirely of the transgendered.

He was promoted to chief operating officer this January, following a restructuring at GroupM. The WPP media agency is a clear leader in the Indian market in terms of size and clout.

Speaking about the management change, GroupM Asia CEO Mark Patterson said: “PK has performed to the highest levels for fifteen years in GroupM and agency leadership roles.

“He is uniquely and perfectly positioned to take on the CEO role, working closely with myself and CVL Srinivas (our WPP Country Manager), our local leadership team, clients and media partners.

“We have ambitious plans to continue to lead growth in the market. It’s an exciting time for India, and the region and the future is bright.”

WPP country manager CVL Srinivas added: “PK’s passion for the business, never say die attitude and a strong commitment to our clients and partners have earned him a great deal of respect across the board. I have enjoyed working with him and am excited to see him lead GroupM South Asia. I’d like to thank Sam for his leadership and wish him the very best.”

Outgoing CEO Sam Singh said: “It has been an absolute privilege working with GroupM this last one year. The friends that I have made, are friends for life. I’ve seen the excellence and passion that the GroupM people bring to work every day, the bonds that they have with their clients, and the passion for their brands. I wish GroupM all the success. To ensure a smooth transition, PK and I will be closely working together.”

Prasanth Kumar said: “I am humbled at the opportunity to take on the CEO role for GroupM in one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing markets in the world.

“When it comes to advertising and media, India has made its mark on the global stage and success with our consumers is of vital importance to some of the world’s biggest advertisers. It’s been thrilling to be with GroupM as we’ve led the way and there is much more to come.”

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