Dentsu International has appointed Sanjay Bhasin as CEO of Dentsu Thailand in addition to his role as CEO of Dentsu Vietnam and Myanmar.
He was appointed as Indochina CEO in January 2018 and has been based in Vietnam since then. The new role will be based in Thailand, where he was previously based during nine years with Y&R.
The move follows the retirement of Khun Amornsak Sakpuaram, CEO of Dentsu Thailand and executive chairman of Dentsu MB Thailand, who has been with the network for 37 years and will assume an advisory role from January 1 until the end of Q1.
"Sanjay Bhasin is a familiar and trusted industry veteran and the right leader for our next phase of growth," Wendy Clark, global CEO of Dentsu international, said in a release. Clark said that under Bhasin's leadership, the Vietnam business has built a "formidable reputation as the most successful integrated agency in the market", delivering double-digit growth and profitability year-on-year.
Clark also praised Sakpuaram as the driving force behind Dentsu Thailand’s growth. "We thank him for his years of dedication and service and wish him a long and happy retirement,” she added.
Sakpuaram said he has enjoyed "every moment" of his 37 years at Dentsu Thailand. "I never expected to still be here when I walked through the doors in 1984, but it is testament to the nature of this incredible business that I have stayed so long," he said. "We have achieved a huge amount together as a network. We have never stopped innovating or delivering distinctiveness to enhance capabilities in the business ecosystem, enabling the growth of our client’s brands.”
For his part, Bhasin said he is excited to return to Thailand to lead the business. "Khun Amornsak leaves the organisation in an excellent position to build growth from, and I am looking forward to working with him over the coming months," Bhasin said. "Thailand is a fast-paced and dynamic market. We have a first-class team with a clear vision and market acumen to ensure we deliver the best and most integrated experiences for consumers on our client’s behalf."