MAM
WPP’s Grey Group acquires majority stake in S Korean digital agency
MUMBAI: WPP’s wholly owned company Grey Group has acquired a majority stake in Vinyl I-Co. Ltd., a creative digital agency based in Seoul, South Korea.
Established in 2000, Vinyl-I has evolved from a web/UX design agency to an award-winning full service digital advertising agency which incorporates new media technology to enhance the user experience, especially in the area of interactive design.
Vinyl-I clients include GS Shop, Intel, L’Oreal, Lotte, Microsoft, Naver, Nike, Samsung, SK Telecom, and SM Entertainment.
For the year ending 31 December, 2014, Vinyl-I reported gross revenue of KRW 12.8 billion, with gross assets of KRW 4.2 billion, as at the same date. The agency employs more than 70 people.
This acquisition marks a further step towards WPP’s declared goal of developing its networks in fast growing markets and sectors and strengthening its digital capabilities.
WPP’s digital revenues were $6.9 billion in 2014, representing 36 per cent of the Group’s total revenues of $19 billion. WPP has set a target of 40-45 per cent of revenues to be derived from digital in the next five years.
In South Korea, WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of over $300 million, while in the Asia Pacific region, the figure stands at $5 billion.
MUMBAI: In India’s fast-moving payments race, Visa has just swiped in a new leader. The company has named Suresh Sethi as its India country head, marking a key leadership shift as it sharpens its focus on digital payments growth in the market. Sethi steps into the role following his recent exit from Protean eGov Technologies, where he served as chief executive officer. He succeeds Sandeep Ghosh, who has moved on after more than four years at Visa to pursue an external opportunity.
The appointment comes at a time when Visa is doubling down on its expansion strategy across India and the wider region, deepening partnerships and accelerating adoption in an increasingly competitive digital payments ecosystem.
Sethi brings with him a broad, cross-market perspective shaped by decades of experience across corporate banking, retail financial services, mobile money and large-scale government technology initiatives. He began his career at Citigroup, where he spent 14 years working across India, Africa, South America and the United States, focusing on transaction banking services within the corporate bank.
His appointment signals a blend of institutional experience and market familiarity qualities that could prove critical as Visa navigates a landscape where fintech innovation, regulatory evolution and consumer adoption are all accelerating at once.
As digital payments in India continue to scale rapidly, the leadership change underscores a simple reality, in a market where every tap, scan and swipe counts, who leads the charge can matter just as much as the technology itself.
