MAM
Ipsos India ropes in Shalini Sinha
Mumbai : Bullish and eyeing ambitious growth plans, Ipsos a leading global custom market research company has roped in Shalini Sinha to spearhead the two key verticals of Brand Health Tracking (BHT) & Creative Excellence (CRE) in India, with immediate effect.
Sinha will be designated group service line leader, Brand Health Tracking (BHT) & Creative Excellence (CRE) and will report to Ipsos India CEO Amit Adarkar. Her remit at Ipsos India will be primarily to drive the business in the areas of brand and communications for Ipsos’ global partnership clients and the repertoire of leading home-grown companies and contribute to thought leadership. Her key focus area and priority will also be to leverage the business potential in the southern region of India. She moves from Creativeland Asia Pvt Ltd where she was CEO, Consumer Insights Division and Director, Strategy. Though based in Bengaluru, her mandate is for pan India.
Commenting on Sinha’s appointment, Adarkar said, “Brand Health Tracking and Creative Excellence have both undergone a major renaissance at Ipsos, with new thinking of brand success framework and its key 3 pillars of expectations, context and empathy which clients are extensively adopting to shape expectations, operating from the space of empathy and understanding the role brands play in the lives of consumers (context);it has resonated well with consumers in driving their purchase decisions. Sinha, with her domain expertise and experience will further reinforce Ipsos’s position in brand and communication in India.”
“We have a large portfolio of solutions within brand and communication, which include brand activation tracking, brand equity measurement, creative development, creative assessment, creative in-market, digital DIY solutions and to top it all a spanking new Brand Success Framework for clients to implement new thinking to connect with their core target groups and improve market shares and enhance consumer stickiness,” added Sinha.
“I firmly believe that our BHT practice holds immense potential by leveraging Ipsos’ robust research methodologies and cutting-edge technologies which are geared to match the pace of consumer and brand evolution today. Furthermore, Ipsos’ CRE practice stands out for its expertise, tailor-made solutions that are designed to address the specific needs of each client, advanced methodologies and actionable recommendations, making it a trusted partner for businesses,” added Sinha.
With work experience spanning over two decades, Sinha has worked with leading market research companies, handling both qualitative and quantitative research work for clients across Consumer-Packaged Goods sector, with strategic client work and counsel in brands and communications, extensively, primarily for FMCG, consumer durables, automotive, alcobev, tobacco and lifestyle products.
Sinha is an alumnus of Jaipuria Institute of Management.
AD Agencies
WPP appoints Hephzibah Pathak CEO of WPP Creative India
Ogilvy India chair takes charge of unified creative model in key market
NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as chief executive officer of WPP Creative India, putting a local leader at the helm of its newly created creative operating model in one of its most important growth markets.
The move brings clarity to how WPP’s global restructuring will play out in India, weeks after the group unveiled WPP Creative as part of its Elevate28 strategy. The unit sits alongside WPP Media, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions, and is designed to simplify what the company previously described as an overly complex structure.
Pathak, who continues as executive chairperson of Ogilvy India, will represent all agencies under the WPP Creative umbrella in India. Her role centres on driving integration across brands, expanding capabilities and ensuring clients can tap into the network’s full talent pool without friction.
WPP said Pathak will work closely with agency brand CEOs to “enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless client access”, while maintaining the distinct identities of its agencies.
The portfolio under WPP Creative includes leading networks such as VML, Landor, AKQA and Grey, along with Burson and its affiliated firms. Leaders across these agencies will now report into Pathak, even as each brand continues to operate independently within a unified system.
The appointment also formalises a dual-track strategy in India, preserving agency identities while accelerating collaboration. Pathak is expected to work closely with media leadership to align creative and media capabilities, reflecting growing client demand for integrated, multi-market solutions.
WPP Creative global CEO Jon Cook has described the unit as “not an agency” but an operating system that helps creative, design and PR brands work together more effectively. The group has been clear that it is not merging or phasing out legacy agency brands, instead aiming to reduce complexity on the client side.
Pathak brings nearly three decades of experience within the network, having joined in 1997 and held roles ranging from Mumbai office head to chief client officer. She made history in 2024 as the first woman to lead Ogilvy India in its 95-year presence in the country.
Her expanded mandate positions India at the centre of WPP’s Asia-Pacific strategy, with a focus on strengthening brand presence, deepening client relationships and unlocking growth in a fast-evolving market.
The appointment signals WPP’s intent to move beyond the traditional holding company model towards a more integrated, AI-enabled structure. With Pathak now steering WPP Creative India, the group appears set to test whether simpler structures can indeed deliver sharper creative outcomes.
