Dentsu India names John Thangaraj as Chief Strategy Officer

Dentsu India has named John Thangaraj as Chief Strategy Officer for its creative and media operations. He announced the same on his LinkedIn.

Thangaraj brings more than two decades of experience in marketing and communications, having worked across public relations, advertising, media and brand strategy.

He began his career in 2002 in public relations and later moved into marketing with Adidas in 2007, where he was involved in brand management. He entered advertising the following year, taking on planning roles at agencies including Rediffusion Y&R and MullenLowe Lintas Group.

Over the years, he has worked with a range of consumer and corporate brands in roles at Mindshare, FCB Group India and Havas India, where he most recently served as Chief Strategy Officer.

At Dentsu, he will be responsible for overseeing strategic planning across both media and creative functions.

Amit Wadhwa said, “This role requires a unique blend of courage, humility, and trust. John brings the strategic firepower needed to drive our vision forward, along with the emotional intelligence to unify teams, challenge conventions, and inspire real progress. His ability to navigate complexity while keeping the end goal in sight makes him the ideal leader for this pivotal role.”

Narayan Devanathan added, “In a world that is sometimes foolishly obsessed with the new and shiny, it’s both refreshing and bold to recognize that challenging times don’t always call for change. They call for creativity amidst chaos, assurance amidst ambiguity, and for a leader who can collect and connect dots in strikingly imaginative ways. That’s not just John’s mandate, it’s his forte. In this integrated strategy leadership role, he will be instrumental in shaping client outcomes as much as the industry’s future itself.”

 John Thangaraj commented, “In all honesty, I have never been more excited to begin a new role. The world has changed and so must we. Marketing is more challenging than ever, and clients are increasingly looking for outcomes rather than outputs - sometimes driven by media and data-fueled creativity, and at other times by creative and consumer-driven media interventions. By combining strategic thinking across both creative and media practices, dentsu has set the benchmark for truly outcome-based integrated marketing. This network has some of the best talent in the industry, and I’m thrilled to be part of this exceptional team. Full speed ahead!”