MAM
Sam Ahmed moves to Mumbai as Rediffusion VC and CCO
MUMBAI: WPP‘s communication agency Rediffusion has appointed Sam Ahmed as vice chairman and chief creative officer. He currently lives in Dubai but will now move to Mumbai from where he will operate in his new role at the agency.
Ahmed has spent 14 years at Y & R, Dubai where he was credited with making Y&R the No. 1 agency in Dubai in creative rankings and the 3rd most creative agency in the world. He has worked on brands like Ford, Nestle, Pepsi, P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, Citibank, Harvey Nichols, Skoda, Land Rover, Jaguar, Sony Ericsson, Du Telecom, Zain Telecom, HTC, Apple and World Gold Council. He has also been a consultant for the Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed‘s executive office on several Dubai projects including DIFC and Burj Khalifa.
Rediffusion chairman and managing director Diwan Arun Nanda said, “It is good to have a person of Sam‘s credentials lead the Creative Team at Rediffusion. He is one of the world‘s most awarded creative people. We searched the globe for such a creative talent. Sam is empowered to lead our team to achieve great creative heights with work that helps strengthen our clients‘ brands even further.”
Ahmed said, “One of the reasons I left advertising is that the focus had shifted, it had become more about making money and less about ideas. I have always believed that only great ideas make a lot of money for your clients and your agency and when the Chairman of a legendary agency offers you a challenge to make Rediffusion the Number 1 creative agency in India, you don‘t ask too many questions, except where do I sign? I have some of the most amazing brands at Rediffusion to work with and I am really excited.”
Sam joined the advertising and communications industry at the age of 21. He was 24 when he won his first design award and by the time he turned 28, he was creative director of Y&R, Dubai. He was made partner and regional executive creative director of Y&R Brands for the region by age of 31. In 2009, Sam founded the Creative Club of Dubai.
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
