Omnicom names DDB’s Aditya Kanthy CEO of newly formed Omnicom Advertising Services in India

Omnicom (NYSE: OMC) Chairman and CEO John Wren today named Aditya Kanthy as CEO of the newly formed Omnicom Advertising Services group in India. Kanthy will oversee Omnicom’s creative agencies in the region, focusing on talent, cross agency collaboration, and innovation to drive growth in one of the company’s fastest growing markets. The respective creative agencies within the group – DDB, BBDO and TBWA – will maintain their current branding in the Indian market.

Omnicom Advertising Services will bring together the power of Omnicom to provide exceptional integrated solutions to meet the needs of clients in India.The group will capitalize on the top talent housed within its leading networks and work in partnership with other Omnicom agencies, such as Omnicom Media Group, to further strengthen Omnicom’s comprehensive offering in India. Omnicom recently announced the creation of large global capability centers with four campuses out of Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Gurgaon. 

“This year India will become the most populous nation on the planet. It is an important growth engine for Omnicom. By centralizing the leadership of three creative powerhouses under Aditya, we will continue to build on our agencies’ strong foundations to deliver a wider breadth of capability and scale for our clients,” says John Wren, Chairman and CEO, Omnicom. “Aditya brings deep experience to the newly created Omnicom Advertising Services, and our India operations is primed to thrive under his leadership.”

Kanthy, currently CEO of DDB Mudra Group, began his career in Mudra in 2003 as a strategic planner, taking on various responsibilities over the years including Chief Strategy Officer, a role in which he helped shape India’s most successful independent advertising agency into an Omnicom-owned integrated marketing communications group. As the new leader of Omnicom Advertising Services India, he will further strengthen Omnicom’s presence and ensure all of our capabilities are extended to our top clients.

Speaking about this development, Aditya Kanthy said, “Omnicom is the most creative global network in the world. Our agencies represent the enduring power of creativity to build brands and businesses. I look forward to bringing the might of the Omnicom network to clients in India and continue to attract the best creative talent in one of the most exciting markets in the world.”