In a move that marks the end of a 25-year journey, Himanshu Shekhar, GroupM’s CEO for Southeast Asia since May 2023, is stepping down this month, as per reports.
Renowned for his strategic acumen and leadership, Shekhar has been instrumental in expanding and strengthening GroupM’s footprint across key regional markets, notably Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Based in Indonesia, Shekhar first joined GroupM through MindShare, where he led the Unilever team in the Indonesian market starting in 2010.
In 2018, he was promoted to CEO of GroupM Indonesia—succeeding Ed Thesiger—and went on to drive data-driven marketing solutions for top global and local brands like Unilever, Nestle, GSK, Indofood, and Shopee.
His responsibilities expanded further in May 2023 when he assumed the role of CEO for the entire Southeast Asia region.
While Shekhar has yet to announce his next move, his departure aligns with a broader leadership reshuffle within GroupM’s Asia-Pacific operations, the report adds.
Last year, the company introduced a series of organizational changes aimed at consolidating its regional capabilities and fostering deeper collaboration among its agencies, including Mindshare, Wavemaker, and EssenceMediaCom.