WPP-owned media agency GroupM on Tuesday promoted its South Asia chief operating officer (COO) Prasanth Kumar as chief executive officer for the region, in place of Sam Singh, who is set to quit.
Kumar, who joined GroupM in 2004, has played several leadership roles across India and the region, before becoming the South Asia COO in January. Singh leaves GroupM in June end to take up a senior role at ByteDance India, a technology firm specializing in content platforms.
“PK (Kumar) has performed to the highest levels for 15 years in GroupM and agency leadership roles. He is uniquely and perfectly positioned to take on the CEO role, working closely with myself and C.V.L. Srinivas (WPP country manager), our local leadership team, clients and media partners," Mark Patterson, chief executive, GroupM Asia Pacific, said in a note.
“I’m humbled at the opportunity to take on the CEO’s role for GroupM in one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing markets. When it comes to advertising and media, India has made its mark on the global stage and success with our consumers is of vital importance to some of the world’s biggest advertisers," said Kumar.
In May 2018, Singh had joined GroupM from Google India, where he was director-sales, and was responsible for the agency business.
“Heartiest congratulations to PK on his promotion. The friends that I have made are friends for life. First hand I’ve seen the excellence and passion that the GroupM people bring to work every day; and the bonds that they have with their clients and the passion for their brands. I wish GroupM all the success. To ensure a smooth transition, PK and I will be closely working together," added Singh.
