Parthasarathy M A bids farewell to WPP after long media journey

MUMBAI: Parthasarathy M A, chief strategy officer for South Asia at GroupM, has announced his retirement, drawing the curtain on a remarkable career that spanned more than three decades across the WPP network.

In a heartfelt note, he shared that the decision follows 17 “lovely years” with WPP Media, where his journey began in 2009 at Mindshare India under the leadership of Gowthaman Gman. His early role as leader of business planning paved the way for a swift climb through the organisation, taking on mandates that ranged from heading Mindshare offices to becoming chief product officer and eventually Mindshare CEO.

Since March 2022, he has led GroupM’s strategy and consulting practice across India and South Asia, collaborating with strategy heads from each GroupM agency. His work spanned everything from nurturing communications planning talent to shaping tools, partnerships and analytics solutions for a wide spectrum of brands.

Before his WPP stint, Parthasarathy spent 14 formative years at HTA and JWT, handling marquee mandates including Ford across 11 Asia-Pacific and African markets.

Looking back, he described his time with WPP as a continuous cycle of learning and discovery, fuelled by inspiring mentors and clients who nudged him to stretch his abilities. As he steps away, he leaves with gratitude and the promise of cheering the network from the sidelines.

After three rewarding decades in advertising and media, he now looks forward to a well-deserved breather.