Inside WPP Media South Asia’s Revamp: The executive committee members

WPP has formalised its transition from GroupM to WPP Media South Asia, unveiling a new leadership architecture designed to accelerate its South Asia strategy. This transformation consists of a dynamic Executive Committee (ExCo) and a WPP Media Leadership Council (WLC), signalling a bold new chapter for the agency.

The WPP Media South Asia Executive Committee:

The ExCo features an accomplished team of industry veterans, each bringing deep expertise and proven impact across media, marketing, and digital innovation. WPP has also appointed four seasoned media professionals as Presidents, Client Solutions — each bringing unique strengths to the table. 

The committee includes:

Priti Murthy: President, Client Solutions, WPP Media South Asia

Currently President of GroupM Nexus India, Murthy has been instrumental in driving data-led transformation and digital acceleration. With over 20 years in the media industry, she has been instrumental in elevating digital strategies across roles.

At OMD India, where she served as CEO, Priti delivered 100% client retention, robust business growth, and launched the highly successful #ONEOMD campaign, reinforcing collaboration and creativity. During her 12-year stint at Maxus (now Wavemaker), she was the Chief Strategy Officer, where she pioneered the Consumer Truth Framework—Maxus APAC’s first tool to enable data-informed media planning.

Murthy’s career stands as a testament to the power of integrating digital innovation with strategic clarity to deliver client-centric solutions.

Ajay Gupte: President, Client Solutions, WPP Media South Asia

As CEO of Wavemaker South Asia, Gupte has led with strategic foresight across markets including India, Indonesia, and Africa. With more than two decades in media, sales, and marketing, his journey is defined by rapid growth and transformational thinking.

He started with leadership roles at Maxus Delhi, handling marquee clients like Nokia, Hero, and Honda, and later took over as Managing Director of Wavemaker Indonesia, transforming the agency into a top-3 player with an expanding blue-chip clientele.

Since becoming CEO of Wavemaker South Asia in 2020, Gupte has integrated media, content, and technology to position Wavemaker as a future-ready agency built for client growth and marketplace relevance.

Amin Lakhani: President, Client Solutions, WPP Media South Asia

CEO of Mindshare South Asia, Lakhani brings over 25 years of experience in client leadership and media strategy. He has led groundbreaking initiatives like the integration of Unilever’s digital business in India through Mindshare Fulcrum, which earned a Grand Prix at Cannes.

Known for his relationship-driven style and strategic focus, Lakhani has worked with top-tier brands such as Pepsi, GSK, and HSBC. His influence also extends to industry bodies including BARC and AAAI, where he has helped shape modern standards and best practices.

Lakhani’s deep understanding of clients’ evolving needs continues to drive media excellence and future-focused innovation across the region.

Navin Khemka: President, Client Solutions, WPP Media South Asia

As CEO – South Asia at EssenceMediacom, Khemka combines over two decades of media leadership with purpose-driven brand building. Known for blending creativity with business outcomes, his leadership has shaped impactful campaigns across India.

Starting his career at Mudra, where he helped launch McDonald’s in India, Khemka went on to lead strategies for high-impact brands like Airtel, PepsiCo, Samsung, and Paytm. His roles at ZenithOptimedia, MediaCom, and Wavemaker reflect his versatile leadership across performance, strategy, and integration.

At EssenceMediacom, Khemka champions outcome-based marketing rooted in consumer insight. Guided by his philosophy, “what’s best for the brand is best for you,” he continues to push the boundaries of media innovation.

Vishandas Hardasani: Chief Financial Officer, WPP Media South Asia

Vishandas Hardasani brings strategic and operational financial leadership to the core of WPP Media’s transformation. As GroupM’s CFO for South Asia since 2016, he has overseen financial and legal systems across the region, playing a pivotal role in shaping client operations and backend architecture.

His extensive experience spans roles at Condé Nast India, KPMG Advisory, and McCann Erickson, covering budgeting, compliance, risk governance, and capital strategy. He partners closely with the CEO on long-term planning, ensuring resilience and scalability as the agency evolves.

Known for balancing operational precision with vision, Hardasani is instrumental in future-proofing the financial foundation of WPP Media South Asia.

Upali Nag Kumar: President, Strategy, WPP Media South Asia

A master strategist, Upali Nag Kumar leads the charge on building frameworks that align communication strategies with long-term business value for high-impact clients.

As the Chief Strategy Officer at Wavemaker India and Motivator, Kumar drives strategies built on consumer insights and market intelligence. Her diverse background includes leadership roles at Titan Company, Starcom MediaVest, Times Television, UTV, and Lowe Lintas. This versatility gives her a unique edge in connecting analytics, sales, media, and storytelling.

A MICA alumna, she also serves on the institute’s Academic Advisory Board, shaping future leaders in marketing and strategy.

Vishal Jacob: President, Choreograph, WPP Media South Asia

At the forefront of AI-driven media transformation, Vishal Jacob leads Choreograph India, the data and AI solutions arm of WPP Media. He steers the region’s digital evolution by building and scaling smart, data-led platforms for client success.

With nearly two decades at GroupM, Jacob has guided digital transformation for industries spanning auto, FMCG, telecom, and retail. As former Chief Transformation Officer at Wavemaker, he built connected ecosystems that combined paid, owned, and earned media.

Ashwin Padmanabhan: Chief Operating Officer, WPP Media South Asia

Ashwin Padmanabhan brings operational excellence and strategic depth to his role as COO, leading planning, buying, and growth practices like Commerce, Content, Influencer Marketing, and Sports.

Previously COO for GroupM South Asia, Padmanabhan was key to unifying GroupM’s multiple service lines—Investments, OOH, Content, Trading, Entertainment—into one integrated offering. His past includes senior leadership roles at Reliance Broadcast Network, where he led 92.7 BIG FM at the national level, and Reliance Industries.

Praseed Prasad: President, Growth & Marketing, WPP Media South Asia

Tasked with anchoring new business expansion and high-growth initiatives, Praseed Prasad serves as the Chief Growth Officer and CMO at WPP Media. His mandate includes expansion into startups, SMBs, emerging geographies, and driving the mOutcome initiative.

With a rich background at Google, Flipkart, and Wipro, Prasad has managed global partnerships, brand marketing, and digital media operations. At Google, he led APAC agency partnerships and EMEA operations. At Flipkart, he oversaw the Ads Agency Business.

Earlier at GroupM, he managed digital investment and trading for India, giving him a panoramic view of the evolving media-tech landscape.

The internal note also mentions that the agency is in the final stages of onboarding a Chief People Officer to embed a people-first culture anchored in learning, leadership, and growth.