AD Agencies
GroupM’s global brand Essence to enter India with Maxus’ aid
MUMBAI: Essence, a global digital agency, today announced it has established operations in India via the opening of a new location in Delhi. This will be the agency’s fifth office in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region and the third to open its doors this year.
In March, Essence announced its debut in Shanghai, China and Sydney, Australia.
GroupM acquired Essence, the largest buyer of digital media, in November 2015. It is GroupM’s fifth global brand.
As the formerly independent agency continues to scale globally, APAC remains a key growth region due to Essence’s commitment to deliver its proposition to its existing client roster across greater geographies, and to support the abundance of new business activity. India, in particular, holds strong strategic importance given its status as a dominant and dynamic growth market within the region, a company statement said.
To help ease its transition into India, Essence turned to Maxus, a GroupM agency in India. The unified Essence-Maxus team will be based out of the GroupM Delhi office.
In addition to transferring several existing Essence and Maxus employees to fill relevant positions, the agency is actively recruiting to hire local, outside talent for roles across the account management, strategy and planning, advertising operations, biddable and performance disciplines.
Kunal Guha, client partner and head of strategy, APAC, is serving as the Essence office lead, reporting into APAC CEO Kyoko Matshushita.
“Just over three years ago, Essence opened its first APAC office in Singapore,” Matsushita was quoted in the company statement. “It’s incredible what we’ve been able to accomplish in such a short period of time. Working with innovative clients has helped Essence unlock opportunities to bring digital innovation to the region. We see even more opportunity in India and are excited to align with GroupM as we navigate this crucial market.”
“We are delighted to bring Essence into India at a time when more and more clients are looking at cutting edge digital media solutions for their brands. With their very focussed approach they have built deep client engagements globally. Our digital offering in India is further strengthened by their opening of an office here, ” said GroupM South Asia CEO CVL Srinivas in a statement.
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.
