Dentsu ropes in Yuichi Toyoda as CEO, dentsu APAC

Dentsu has announced that it has roped in Yuichi Toyoda, Global Practice President - Business Transformation, dentsu, BX President, dentsu Japan, and Managing Executive Officer, Dentsu Inc., as CEO, dentsu APAC. His new role will be effective 1 January 2026. Toyoda will also become a part of dentsu’s Group Executive Management team.

After completing a 13-month tenure as Interim APAC Lead, Yoshiki Ishihara will resume his role as Global Chief Strategy Officer at dentsu by the end of this year. In this capacity, he will focus on accelerating the Group’s global growth and advancing the implementation of dentsu’s Medium-Term Management Plan (MTMP) worldwide.

"We are delighted to appoint Yuichi as CEO, dentsu APAC. His deep knowledge of the region, extensive global experience and leadership in business transformation makes him ideally suited to lead this dynamic and highly competitive region,” said Hiroshi Igarashi, President and Global CEO, dentsu. “We are grateful to Yoshi for his outstanding leadership over the past 13 months, laying the foundation for a return to growth and strengthening collaboration across the region."

Yuichi brings with him over three decades of experience at dentsu, including 15 years in global leadership roles. He has an in-depth understanding of dentsu’s capabilities and a strong grasp of both Japanese and international markets, having served in CEO and senior leadership positions across India, Thailand, and China, where he successfully turned around underperforming business units.

Since 2022, Yuichi has led Dentsu Inc.’s Global Division and Dentsu Group Inc.’s Solutions Office. In 2024, as dentsu strengthened its global management structure, he took charge of the company’s global Business Transformation (BX) practice. Under his leadership, the BX expertise originally developed in Japan has been expanded to teams and clients worldwide continuing to drive strong momentum and achieving double-digit revenue growth.

"It is with a deep sense of responsibility and pride that I take on this role at such a pivotal time, for both our APAC business and the Group. The region is undergoing unprecedented transformation, with disruption reshaping every industry and redefining how our clients compete and grow. Disruption, however, always brings opportunity. We will choose to lead this transformation by building a new, ‘uniquely dentsu’ business model, one that creates value beyond our clients’ expectations, supports their sustainable growth and contributes to the progress of society. Together, we will put dentsu APAC back on a growth path and achieve sustainable, long-term success,” said Yuichi Toyoda.

During his tenure as Interim APAC Lead, Yoshi played a crucial role in driving dentsu’s One dentsu vision throughout the region, fostering greater collaboration and alignment across markets. He successfully implemented key elements of the Medium-Term Management Plan (MTMP), driving meaningful organizational change, strengthening collaboration with Japan, and laying a strong foundation for sustainable growth and future expansion.

Yoshiki Ishihara said, “It has been a privilege to lead APAC over the past year. Together, we’ve built a strong foundation for growth. I am confident that under Yuichi’s leadership, the region will continue to accelerate its progress and deliver even greater value to clients and markets.”