GroupM Southeast Asia CEO Himanshu Shekhar exits

After 25 years with GroupM, Himanshu Shekhar, CEO of Southeast Asia since May 2023, is stepping down this month. Instrumental in driving growth and strengthening GroupM’s presence in key markets like Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, Shekhar's departure marks a significant shift for the company.

In a statement issued to Campaign, GroupM said: “After two and a half decades with GroupM, Himanshu Shekhar has decided to step down from his role managing our business in Southeast Asia this month. Himanshu has been a strong leader for us over the years. We’re grateful for his many contributions to our success in the region and wish him the best for the future.”

Based in Indonesia, Shekhar played an important role in GroupM's Southeast Asian expansion. His career with the network began with Mindshare, leading the Unilever team in Indonesia starting in 2010. He was promoted to CEO of GroupM Indonesia in 2018 (taking over from Ed Thesiger), and his responsibilities broadened to include the entire Southeast Asia region in May 2023. Throughout his tenure, he collaborated closely with major global and local clients, including Unilever, Nestlé, GSK, Indofood, and Shopee, developing innovative, data-driven marketing strategies.

Shekhar has not announced his next move but the exit coincides with a broader leadership restructuring within GroupM’s Asia-Pacific operations. Last year, GroupM announced a series of changes to consolidate regional capabilities and foster collaboration among its agencies, including Mindshare, Wavemaker, and EssenceMediacom.

As a result, Alice Chow, GroupM Hong Kong CEO, Irene Tsui, managing director, Mindshare Hong Kong, Carlton Kwan, chief financial officer, GroupM Hong Kong and Gilles Detanger, chief commercial officer for EssenceMediaCom for APAC exited the company in May 2024. In Singapore, Arshan Saha became the new CEO; and expanded responsibilities were announced for APAC CEO Helen McRae, Wavemaker APAC regional lead Sindhuja Rai overseeing GroupM’s client leadership communities, and Josh Gallagher's promotion to client president for EssenceMediacom APAC.