MAM
Orchard Advertising picks Kishore Karumbaiah as creative director
MUMBAI: Orchard Advertising has appointed Kishore Karumbaiah as creative director.
Based at the agency‘s headquarters in Bangalore, Karumbaiah will partner Orchard Advertising creative director Sagar Prajapati in leading the creative function in Bangalore.
Karumbaiah‘s last stint was with JWT Bangalore as creative director.
Orchard Advertising chairman and national creative director Thomas Xavier said, “Kishore brings with him the perfect mix of youthful exuberance and skill to lead a young team of creative enthusiasts. We expect his contribution in upping the creative standards of the agency further, making our brands and clients benefactors of this progression.”
Karumbaiah added, “I was looking for a hungry agency, and in Orchard, I found my match. Orchard and The Leo Group are known for their creative prowess, and have produced some of the best work the country has seen. This gives me an opportunity to fuel this trend and further the creative standards of this agency. I‘m also excited about gaining from the collective experiences of the team here and thrilled about getting an opportunity to groom and nurture some really good young talent we have here.”
Karumbaiah comes with over 12 years of experience in the business having worked on brands like Airtel, ITC stationery, Nike, Infosys, Microsoft, Lenovo, Tanishq, Fastrack, Kingfisher, Citizen Watches, Levis and TVS. Prior to joining JWT, he had also worked with Rediffusion-Y&R, Ogilvy & Mather, Hakuhodo Percept, MAA Bozell and Lowe Lintas.
Orchard Advertising is part of The Leo Group, which also includes Leo Burnett and Black Pencil. Some of the agency‘s clients include Wipro, SAB Miller, Essilor, Godrej, BlackBerry, WaterHealth India and Piramal Healthcare.
Digital
OpenAI names Sanghyun Lee Apac global affairs head
Ex-Google policy leader to steer AI governance and partnerships in region
MUMBAI: OpenAI has appointed Sanghyun Lee as head of Asia Pacific global affairs, bringing in a seasoned policy hand as it deepens engagement across one of the fastest-evolving AI markets.
Based in Singapore, Lee will lead public policy engagement, government relations and strategic partnerships across key Asia Pacific markets, including India, Japan, Korea, Australia and Southeast Asia. His role will centre on shaping how AI is governed and adopted responsibly across the region.
Lee joins OpenAI after nearly nine years at Google, where he held multiple leadership roles in government affairs and public policy. Most recently, he served as global head of key markets for platforms and devices, overseeing regulatory strategy across major markets including the US, EU and Asia.
Reflecting on his transition, Lee described his time at Google as formative. “After nearly nine years at Google, I am closing a chapter that has meant a great deal to me. These were defining years. We navigated regulatory scrutiny, fast-moving policy debates, and moments that demanded calm judgment and steady teamwork,” he said.
At OpenAI, Lee will focus on aligning innovation with policy frameworks, a balancing act that is becoming increasingly critical as AI adoption accelerates worldwide. Lee said, “When a technology is as powerful as AI, progress is not only about innovation. It is also about how thoughtfully we engage with governments, institutions, and communities to help ensure its benefits are shared broadly and responsibly.”
Lee brings more than two decades of experience spanning technology, investments and public policy. His career includes leadership roles at Airbnb, where he worked on regulatory frameworks in Asia, and academic positions at Yonsei University. He is also an alumnus of MIT Sloan School of Management and has contributed to research on AI governance and digital policy.
His appointment comes as OpenAI looks to strengthen its institutional presence globally, with Asia Pacific expected to play a central role in shaping the future of AI regulation and adoption.
As governments and companies race to define the rules of AI, OpenAI’s latest hire signals a clear intent to stay ahead of the policy curve while building trust in a rapidly transforming digital landscape.
