Leo Burnett India has roped in McCann Worldgroup India’s executive director Amitesh Rao as its new CEO. Storyboard18 first broke the news of Rao joining Leo Burnett on November 28, 2023, after the exit of former CEO Dheeraj Sinha.
Rao, Leo Burnett’s new South Asia CEO, has over 25 years of experience across various roles as an adman and a marketer. He worked with agencies like RPG Enterprises, JWT, Rediffusion Y&R, and TBWA India. Rao has also founded two companies, including Nova Gaming Venture. He was instrumental in building the telecom brand MTS in India. He was executive director – marketing at MTS.
Rao will report into Anupriya Acharya, CEO Publicis Groupe South Asia and will work closely with Rajdeepak Das, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe India and chairman, Leo Burnett South Asia.
In a press statement, Acharya, CEO, Publicis Groupe South Asia, said, “I am delighted to welcome Amitesh Rao. We are in an age of constant invention and re-invention and in Amitesh, we found the perfect leader who brings both a thorough appreciation of the power of creativity in building strong brands and an intimate understanding and fluency in diverse languages of technology, gaming, data, and platforms. His easy demeanour and candid attitude are an added asset for clients, our teams and our Groupe’s Power of One agenda. I look forward to working with him.”
On his appointment, Rao said, “I look forward to leading Leo Burnett South Asia in an era where the confluence of technology and creativity is redefining the playing field. With its outstanding creativity and top accolades, a remarkable roster of blue-chip clients and an amazing talent pool, the agency offers an incredible canvas. I hope to bring new perspective on client businesses, strengthen seamless solutions and look forward to accelerating growth for Leo Burnett and its clients.”