GroupM’s Essence names T. Gangadhar as APAC CEO

Based out of Mumbai, T. Gangadhar will work closely with Essence’s global and APAC leadership teams and will continue to report to Matsushita.

Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency which is part of GroupM, has announced the appointment of T. Gangadhar (“Gangs”) as the company’s CEO for APAC.

Succeeding Essence’s Global CEO Kyoko Matsushita, who previously served as APAC CEO, Gangs will be responsible for driving continued client-centric innovation in data, analytics, and technology, as well as business growth and company culture across the agency’s fastest-growing region.

Gangs most recently served as President, Growth and Strategy, APAC for Essence, in charge of the agency’s business strategy, development, and growth. He first joined Essence in 2018 as Chairman, India with more than two decades of experience in marketing, advertising, and media.

He previously held the role of Managing Director, South Asia at MEC and Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing at Sony Entertainment Television in India, and began his career in creative agency account management and strategic planning.

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“Gangs’ extensive experience in the industry, his knowledge of Essence’s culture and our clients, and his vision for our business in the region make him the ideal person to lead us into our next phase of growth and innovation in APAC. As the most senior member of our regional leadership team, Gangs has done an outstanding job in partnering with me to navigate our business through the challenges of 2020 and I am truly excited about what we will be able to achieve with him at the helm in APAC going forward,” said Matsushita. 

“I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead this truly special agency in APAC. Essence is pioneering the use of data, analytics, and technology at a time when more and more companies are looking to take advantage of data-driven media and creativity. I am excited about leveraging our best-in-class capabilities to discover new ways to add value for our clients, consumers, and employees - in these current times and in the post-COVID-19 future ahead of us,” said Gangs.