WPP Media promotes Prabhat Bhardwaj to director for APAC operations

GURUGRAM: After more than a decade of clicks, campaigns and countless conference calls, Prabhat Bhardwaj has clicked into a new role. WPP Media has elevated Prabhat Bhardwaj from associate director, media activation, to director, APAC, marking the latest milestone in a digital marketing career spanning over 13 years.

In his new role, Bhardwaj will support business operations across the Asia-Pacific region as a capacity planner, building on his experience managing large-scale media activation, planning and operational functions for global clients.

The promotion caps a journey that began in January 2013, when Bhardwaj entered the digital marketing industry as an analyst. Over the years, he steadily climbed the ranks across multiple organisations, taking on increasingly strategic leadership responsibilities.

His professional journey started with the then Solutions-Digitas Integrated Marketing Services, part of Publicis Groupe, where he supported international markets including the UK, Italy, Spain, Russia and Turkey. He later moved to SMG Convonix before joining Performics, where he spent more than five years managing operations, transitions, training and client delivery functions.

Bhardwaj subsequently joined Publicis Media, rising to the position of group head and overseeing business operations, client relationships, process transformation and team development initiatives.

Across his tenure within the Publicis ecosystem, he worked on campaigns and operations for leading global brands including Samsung, American Express, Disney, Verizon and Bank of America.

He joined WPP Media in October 2022 as associate director, initially leading operations for Google across the EMEA region. In 2025, he transitioned to the APAC business, taking responsibility for activation and planning functions while helping drive operational excellence, resource management and process optimisation.

Reflecting on his promotion, Bhardwaj shared that the achievement was the result of nearly 4,900 days in the industry, more than 11,500 meetings, 85 strategic projects, 27 teams, hundreds of training sessions, presentations and feedback conversations.

“The journey was shaped by tough conversations, high-pressure decisions, moments of doubt, and the willingness to keep learning when the path ahead wasn’t clear,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing the promotion.

He added that leadership is about asking the right questions rather than having all the answers, while emphasising the importance of trust, consistency and taking ownership beyond formal responsibilities.

Bhardwaj also thanked mentors, colleagues and stakeholders who supported his growth, noting that while his title has changed, his mindset remains focused on learning and development.

His elevation reflects the growing importance of operational leadership and workforce planning in an increasingly complex media ecosystem, where agencies are balancing global scale with regional market needs. For Bhardwaj, the promotion represents not just a new designation, but the next chapter in a career built on continuous learning, adaptability and steady progression.