Happy 60th birthday to the only boss I’ve ever had!

I have to be honest: my first encounter with Ashish was what I’d describe as “hate at first sight.” ? In June 2008, Aegis Media had agreed to acquire Communicate 2, and

I met Ashish for the first time at the launch party. However, the financial crisis of 2008 caused the market cap of most media groups to halve, and Aegis Media decided not to go through with the acquisition. As a young and naive entrepreneur, I held Ashish personally responsible. The whole experience felt like being a bride left at the altar, as the transaction had already been announced in the press.

Fast forward to 2012, and Ashish approached me again with an acquisition offer. My immediate reaction was to say, “No!” But those four years had changed me. We had turned the company around: moving from a media-centric model to retainer revenues, diversifying beyond BFSI clients, and building a strong core team. In hindsight, the failed acquisition in 2008 was a blessing in disguise—it allowed us to mature as a company and made us far more resilient.

When Ashish approached me this time, he was brutally honest. He said, “Communicate 2 was a good company to acquire in 2008, but I had too many fires to put out back then.” He had just taken charge of a legacy company that had been operational for over a decade but was losing more money than it was earning. He then added, “What you’ve done is make a good company great, and now we’re in a better place to partner.”

To be fair, I quoted a price that was significantly higher than what my investment banker had suggested. Ashish said he would get back to me in three days. Within two days, he called and told me he wouldn’t negotiate a single dollar. He explained, “If you perform well during the earnout, the higher price will be well-deserved. It’s a win-win for everyone.” His approach exemplified his integrity and his belief in fairness.

A day before the transaction was set to close, I read in the news that Dentsu had acquired Aegis Media. My heart sank—I thought, “Not again!” But then I got a call from Ashish and the APAC CFO, Kym (God bless his soul), reassuring me that they had discussed the transaction with Dentsu and received their go-ahead. “We’ll close tomorrow as scheduled,” they said—and they delivered. Every commitment was honoured, and that marked the beginning of a remarkable journey. Ashish became more than just a boss; he became a friend, philosopher, and guide.

Looking back, selling in 2012 instead of 2008 was the best thing that could have happened to me. Not only did I make significantly more money, but the delay allowed me to mature as an entrepreneur and to build a stronger, more scalable company. During the earnout period, Communicate 2 grew 10x—a testament to the resilience we had built over those years.

Many friends who had sold their companies advised me that acquisitions are not destinations—they are journeys. “Make sure you sell to someone you’ll enjoy that journey with,” they said. You can’t spend five minutes with Ashish without laughing, so I knew I’d enjoy the ride. It was Ashish who made the 2010s one of the best decades of my life.

Ashish went on to acquire 13 companies, but since I was the first, I believe we shared a special relationship. I’ll never forget how, even before the acquisition was finalized, DAN had built a swanky office in Devchand House and asked me to move in—only Ashish could pull that off!

There are countless stories that illustrate Ashish’s leadership. Shortly after the acquisition, we lost a client—not due to poor delivery but because we wanted to charge for sending our analytics person to their Bangalore office. I called Ashish and asked him to come to the meeting. He didn’t hesitate. I told him I’d already apologized but thought a bigger apology from him might help. He showed up, apologized, and we retained the client. It was a masterclass in humility and leadership—true leaders don’t need to act superior; they command respect through their actions.

As my earnout period ended, I wanted to explore new roles—acquisitions, global boards, and strategic leadership. To do that, I needed to find a replacement for myself as CEO of iProspect, so I hired Rubeena Singh. When I informed Ashish, he asked, “If Rubeena’s the CEO, what will you do?” I replied, “I don’t know—you tell me, or you can fire me!” Instead, he promoted me to CEO of DAN Performance Group. At the time, iProspect was the only performance agency, so my role was redundant. I often joke that Ashish spent hundreds of millions acquiring Sokrati, SVG, and others just to justify my new title!

Ashish’s support extended beyond work. I once posted a photo of my socks from a first-class flight during a company travel freeze. When someone complained to him, Ashish simply said, “We’re paying good money to bring entrepreneurs on board. He’s traveling on his own dime, and his lifestyle attracts more entrepreneurs to the system. Let me manage my team.”

Ashish gave his team immense freedom. His favorite line to me was, “Sir, aap ki company hai, aapka jo hukum.” Managing 25 CEOs in India—many of whom had made more money than him—was no small feat. His ability to guide diverse personalities like Siddharth Rao (God bless his soul) and Anubhav Sonthalia with a unified vision was remarkable. This skill earned him the APAC CEO role, where his responsibilities expanded fourfold.

Despite Ashish's grueling travel schedule, he always made it a point to prioritize his family, ensuring that weekends were spent in Mumbai no matter how packed his week was. His accomplishments as a leader are matched only by the immense pride he takes in Abhilasha and Abhinay, whose achievements speak volumes about the values instilled in them. That said, let’s be honest—much of the credit for their incredible accomplishments undoubtedly goes to Mayuri, whose steadfast presence and guidance have been the foundation of their success.

Ashish’s philosophy of “One DAN” transformed the group from 30 to 3,000 people and fostered friendships that endure to this day. Most networks struggle with internal rivalries, but under Ashish’s leadership, DAN felt like a family.

Even now, Ashish continues to inspire. Whether it’s completing his Harvard program or embracing the philosophy of Die with Zero (a book I recommended), he approaches life with childlike curiosity and boundless energy.

Ashish, you’ve been a friend, philosopher, and guide, not just to me but to countless others. Wishing you an incredible 60s filled with new adventures and endless joy.