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In a rare dual-leadership move for the Indian advertising sector, IPG Mediabrands India has undergone a strategic leadership transition aimed at consolidating its position in the market ahead of the anticipated acquisition by Omnicom Group.
Shashi Sinha, the longstanding CEO and a pivotal figure in the agency, has been elevated to Executive Chairman of the agency. Simultaneously, Amardeep Singh, CEO of Interactive Avenues—the group’s digital powerhouse—takes charge as the new CEO of IPG Mediabrands India, e4m has learnt.
“Now, the two leaders will jointly helm the company for the next three years, a first-of-its-kind leadership structure in Indian advertising, signaling a future-focused, stability-driven strategy as the group prepares for its next phase of growth,” highly placed sources told e4m.
Sinha, credited with launching India’s first media agency Lodestar in 1990, has played a central role in shaping IPG Mediabrands’ operations since becoming its India CEO in 2012. On the other hand, Singh, who founded Interactive Avenues—which was later acquired by IPG Mediabrands—scaled the agency 13x over the last 13 years, reinforcing its dominance in digital marketing.
The joint leadership model reflects IPG’s strategic intent to sustain momentum and maximise synergies, especially at a time of accelerated digital transformation and consolidation in the advertising industry.
IPG Mediabrands India’s portfolio includes agencies such as Lodestar UM, Initiative, Interactive Avenues, Rapport, Ansible, and Magna Global.
The network serves over 400 top brands, manages 1,500+ professionals across 21 offices in 7 cities, and contributes to nearly 20% of India’s advertising expenditure (AdEx), according to the agency’s LinkedIn page. An additional 1,500 experts work out of the group’s Global Capability Centre in Pune.
When reached for their comment, Sinha and Singh confirmed the development. However, they underplayed its operational impact, saying, “This transition won’t change the way we function.”
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