Digital
Global digital agency Dept brings in David Neal as CFO
MUMBAI: He is getting on board to get to the depth of finance in tech and marketing services agency Dept. Former global CFO for Dentsu Creative and Tag, David Neal has joined the close-to-30-year old digital agency as its new global chief financial officer (CFO). In this role, David Neal will bring together the global finance and operations team at Dept, driving innovation and streamlining processes by positioning finance as a strategic partner to the business.
“During my conversations with the leadership team and colleagues, I was invigorated by the energy and ambition within Dept,” said Neal. “I realised this is a place where we can do things differently. I hope to transform finance into a true strategic partner, providing insights, analysis, and driving commercial growth.”
David brings substantial experience as a chief financial officer, with a proven track record in the marketing and advertising sectors across south and southeast Asia and global leadership positions.
In his new role, David will be based in London. He will leverage his extensive background to redefine the finance department as a strategic ally within Dept, enhancing collaboration with other business units—especially operations, and people & culture. Neal has been mandated to harness the potential of AI to transform financial processes, fostering a culture of relentless curiosity and innovation.
“At Dept, we’re all about keeping innovation at the core of everything we do. By bringing our finance and operations teams closer together, we are merging two key business areas to drive strategic growth. David will help us unlock new opportunities and ensure that innovation remains at the heart of everything we do,” says Dept global CEO Dimi Albers.
Neal is stepping into the role as Mickey Kalifa moves on after two years with the company.
In the past two years, the company has welcomed seven agencies and achieved remarkable growth, with revenues increasing by over 200 per cent. This impressive performance is heavily supported by its AI services; currently, 50 per cent of its global revenue is AI-enabled. Dept continues to set industry standards as a B-corp-certified agency. It works with top-tier brands like Google, KFC, Philips, Audi, Twitch, Patagonia, and eBay, has offices in 30 countries and employs close to 4,000 digital specialists.
Digital
Ethical AI must benefit society, not dominate it, says WFEB chief Sanjay Pradhan at IAA event
At Mumbai event, ethics expert urges businesses and governments to shape AI responsibly
MUMBAI: Artificial intelligence may be racing ahead at lightning speed, but its direction must still be guided by human conscience. That was the central message delivered by Sanjay Pradhan, president of the World Forum for Ethics in Business (WFEB), during the latest edition of IAA Conversations held in Mumbai.
The session was organised by the International Advertising Association (IAA) and the Artificial Intelligence Association of India (AIAI) in association with The Free Press Journal at the Free Press House on 7 March. Addressing a packed audience, Pradhan called for stronger ethical leadership to ensure AI remains a tool that benefits humanity rather than one that governs it.
“Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most powerful technologies humanity has created,” Pradhan said. “It is unlocking breakthroughs in medicine, science and creativity at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago.”
But he warned that the same technology carries serious risks. AI, he noted, can amplify disinformation faster than facts can travel, compromise privacy, deepen discrimination and disrupt millions of livelihoods. Referencing concerns raised by AI pioneers such as Geoffrey Hinton, often called the godfather of AI, Pradhan stressed that the real challenge is not whether AI will shape the world, but whether humans will shape it with ethics and wisdom.
Structuring his talk around four guiding questions, why, what, how and who, Pradhan introduced the audience to WFEB’s emerging AI Ethics Partnership, a global platform aimed at advancing responsible artificial intelligence. He outlined four priority concerns that demand urgent attention: disinformation, bias and discrimination, data privacy and job security.
To make the idea of ethical AI easier to grasp, Pradhan offered a simple metaphor. Ethical AI, he said, is like a three layered cake. The outer layer represents the visible value ethical AI creates for businesses and society. The middle layer is organisational culture that moves ethics from written codes to everyday practice. The innermost layer, however, is the most crucial, the conscience of individual leaders.
Drawing from Indian philosophical thought through WFEB co-founder Ravi Shankar, Pradhan noted that while artificial intelligence can reproduce stored knowledge, true intelligence is boundless and rooted in conscience, creativity and compassion. Practices such as breathwork and meditation, he suggested, can help leaders develop the calm clarity needed for ethical decision making.
The event also featured a discussion with Maninder Adityaraj Singh, chief of staff and head of innovation at Rediffusion Brand Solutions Pvt Ltd, and Yash Johri, lawyer, Supreme Court of India.
Opening the session, IAA India chapter president Abhishek Karnani, highlighted the need for industries to understand and engage with AI responsibly.
“AI has to be befriended and understood,” added Rediffusion managing director and AIAI national convenor Sandeep Goyal. “Its ethical use will determine whether it becomes a friend or a foe.”
As AI continues to reshape industries and societies, Pradhan ended with a simple but powerful call to action. Businesses, governments and individuals must work together to ensure that the algorithms shaping the future reflect human values rather than just cold logic.
