AD Agencies
John Thangaraj joins Dentsu India as CSO for creative and media
MUMBAI: Dentsu India has snapped up one of the industry’s sharpest minds. John Thangaraj, the veteran planner and brand whisperer, has been appointed as chief strategy officer – creative & media, marking a bold move in the agency’s push for tighter integration across its verticals.
The appointment, effective May 2025, sees Thangaraj bring two decades of battle-tested experience across advertising, media, consumer research and brand building to the Japanese holding group’s India operations. He moves from Havas India, where he served as CSO for a year.
Dentsu’s gain is no small scalp. Prior to Havas, Thangaraj was the group CSO at FCB group India, steering strategy across multiple marquee clients, and also held senior roles at Mindshare, MullenLowe Lintas group, Rediffusion Y&R and adidas.
Known for mixing consumer insight with street-smart cultural acumen, Thangaraj has worked on everything from fizzy drinks (Pepsi) to luxe kicks (adidas originals), search portals (Shine.com) to search-for-meaning campaigns (HT’s “It Is Time”). His career boasts a few Bronze Effies, a cult GSK ‘Innovation Lab,’ and even a side hustle decoding the super affluent Indian for LG.
Now based in Gurugram, the strategy maven is expected to turbocharge Dentsu’s “one brand” promise with unified thinking that aligns creative sparks with media muscle.
For an industry constantly torn between the mad men and the math men, Thangaraj’s appointment might just be the best of both worlds.
AD Agencies
Tawana Burnett to lead social and influencer jury at Abby Awards 2026
Meta’s Apac leader takes the reins for Abby Awards, adding flair to social content
MUMBAI: Tawana Burnett, Meta’s Head of Top Accounts and Agencies for Apac, has been named jury chair for the new social content and influencer ,arketing category at the Abby Awards 2026, powered by The One Club | The One Show.
With a 25-year career spanning the US, EMEA, Latam, and Apac, Tawana has worked on campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands and leading advertising agencies. At Meta, she guides CMOs, business leaders, and agencies on harnessing digital and emerging advertising solutions to accelerate brand growth.
Before joining Meta, Tawana led award-winning product teams at Intuit, LeapFrog, Johnson & Johnson, and Pfizer, helping launch iconic products including QuickBooks, Listerine, Advil, and ChapStick.
A champion of diversity, she was featured in Adweek’s Women Trailblazers in 2019 for mentoring more than 15 women-led startups and for her work on the #biascorrect campaign that promotes women in leadership. She was also recognised in Ad Age’s Global Leading Women Class of 2023, The List in 2024, and served as juror for Spikes Asia and Mad Stars 2024.
Tawana has held leadership roles in the Singapore Inclusion Council at Meta, the IAB SouthEast Asia & India Board, and currently serves on the boards of IAA SEA and the Ronald McDonald House in New York City. Originally from New York, she now lives in Singapore with her husband and daughter.
The Abby Awards 2026, presented by The One Club | The One Show, will be held during Goafest 2026 from 20 to 22 May in Goa, celebrating creativity across the region.
