MAM
Publicis Groupe announces Creative Council for South Asia; onboards Rajdeepak Das as chairman
Mumbai: Publicis Groupe on Tuesday announced the appointment of Rajdeepak Das as the chairman of the Groupe’s newly launched Creative Council for South Asia.
Leo Burnett South Asia CEO and CCO Rajdeepak Das in addition to his current role will add depth and dimension to the Groupe’s creative products. As part of the additional role, he will lead the overall creative direction, product, and thinking for the Groupe and will champion narratives that truly empower and define the next stage of Indian creativity.
The newly launched Creative Council for South Asia will further strengthen the Groupe’s inspiring, truly remarkable creativity that transforms brands and businesses. Publicis Groupe has a rich culture and legacy of transforming brands through progressive, purposeful creativity. The council will channelise capabilities across creative, data, media, and technology to create progressive, modern, purposeful work with Publicis Groupe’s unique power of one strength.
Publicis Groupe South Asia CEO Anupriya Acharya said, “At Publicis Groupe, we have a tremendous roster of brands, scaled capabilities across design, experience, data and technology, the finest talent pool and the ‘Power of One.’ There is no better time than now to bring all these together and partner our clients in building truly epic work and epic brands. Rajdeepak who apart from being a dynamic and gifted creative leader, has been the force behind many famous, iconic campaigns for leading brands and has pivoted Leo Burnett India to top position among creative agencies in the country today; he was but a natural choice for this role.”
Speaking on his appointment, Das said, “It is an honour to lead The Creative Council for Publicis Groupe South Asia. The council will use the power of brand purpose and new-age creativity to bring a positive impact to people’s lives. The council will help pedigreed brands collaborate closely with the world-class talent of the Groupe. I can’t wait to get started and look forward to leading a power-packed council that is going to create next-generation solutions.”
Das is an outstanding creative leader, with over 20 years of experience in building successful brands. He is a great believer in the power of modern creativity to transform human lives. From saving India’s biggest national treasure, the INS Vikrant warship, with the help of Bajaj, to being part of “Roads That Honk,” the world’s first anti-collusion road management system for Hindustan Petroleum, to developing India’s first micro-finance system, his work speaks for itself and is centred on human values.
His movement for Whisper “Touch The Pickle” won Procter & Gamble the inaugural Cannes Glass Lions Grand Prix for breaking the menstrual taboo. More recently, Das’s work for Whisper “Keep Girls In School” won Leo Burnett India and P&G a Cannes Lions Grand Prix in sustainable development goals. The agency also won the title of ‘Creative Agency Of The Year’ at The One Show Abby Awards, Goafest ’22.
Das has more than 100 international awards to his name, such as The One Show, D&AD, and Spikes. He was the only creative head featured in the popular Netflix series The Creative Indians Season 4.
In his words, Das’s biggest creation till date is Apollo 11, a specialised division of Leo Burnett India or what he refers to as “The Mutant Creatives.” This is a team of hugely talented young people in their 20’s with backgrounds such as aerospace engineers, product designers, data analytics and environmental scientists, who solve brand and human problems with him. His focus is on new-age brand solutions, and he believes “Only way to predict the future is to build it yourself.”
Brands
KPMG names Gary Wingrove as global chairman and CEO from October
Record Gmada bids signal rising demand as Rs 1,000 crore bet reshapes Tricity skyline
MUMBAI: KPMG has chosen continuity with a forward tilt. The firm has announced that Gary Wingrove will take over as global chairman and CEO of KPMG International, beginning a four year term from 1 October 2026. Currently serving as global chief operating officer, Wingrove steps into the top role after being nominated by the global board and elected by the global council.
A KPMG veteran with over 25 years at the firm, Wingrove has been closely involved in shaping its recent trajectory. As global COO, he has helped drive the firm’s Collective Strategy, focusing on operational integration, global investments and the steady expansion of the KPMG Delivery Network. He has also been at the forefront of KPMG’s digital push, including the rollout of AI enabled solutions across its global operations.
Before his global role, Wingrove served as CEO of KPMG Australia for nearly a decade, where he led a period of strong growth, almost doubling revenue, profitability and headcount while steering a cultural reset.
He succeeds Bill Thomas, who has led KPMG since 2017 and will work alongside Wingrove over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition.
Thomas leaves behind a firm that looks markedly different from when he took charge. Under his leadership, KPMG’s global revenues have risen by 55 per cent, and its workforce has expanded to more than 276,000 people. He also unified the network of member firms under the Collective Strategy, aligning priorities and strengthening governance.
His tenure saw heavy investment in technology and partnerships, with alliances spanning Microsoft, Google Cloud, SAP, Oracle and ServiceNow. These collaborations, along with platforms like KPMG Clara, have helped the firm scale its AI-led offerings and sharpen its competitive edge.
Beyond growth, Thomas also pushed improvements in audit quality and sustainability. Initiatives such as a multiyear global sustainability strategy and the Our Impact Plan have aimed to embed long term thinking into the firm’s operations and client services.
For Wingrove, the brief is clear but evolving. He has signalled a focus on agility, deep expertise and technology driven solutions as clients navigate an increasingly complex business landscape. He also emphasised KPMG’s identity as a people first organisation, supported by technology and unified through its global network.
The timing of the leadership change comes as KPMG continues to grow, reporting a 5.1 per cent rise in global revenue in FY25, with gains across tax and legal, audit and advisory services. Growth was recorded across all regions, despite a challenging macro environment.
As Wingrove prepares to take charge, the firm appears set on a familiar path with a sharper digital edge. Same playbook, perhaps, but with a renewed focus on speed, scale and smarter solutions.
