Narayan Devanathan named Dentsu President + Chief Strategy Officer for South Asia

Dentsu has appointed Narayan Devanathan as President & Chief Strategy Officer, South Asia. He will report to Harsha Razdan, CEO, South Asia, dentsu.

Devanathan departed dentsu in the middle of 2022 to pursue interest outside the industry with the National Foundation for India. He returned to the network for a second stint in June last year, Taking on the mantle of Group Chief Strategic Advisor, swiftly establishing a Central Strategy Team for the South Asia Market alongside the Executive Leadership.

In his new capacity, Devanathan is entrusted with the task of executing the network’s strategy to deliver industry-defining client solutions at the intersection of marketing, technology, and consulting.

His mandate includes bringing together the strategy and planning teams across various critical practices including creative, media, and customer experience (CX). Further, Devanathan will also set up and run the business transformation, sustainability consulting, innovations, startup growth partnerships, expert alliances, and knowledge verticals across the group.

As dentsu transforms into a Business-to-Business-to-Society (B2B2S) company committed to creating a valuable future for brands and society, Devanathan will closely work with clients and internal talent to champion meaningful progress collaboratively.

Razdan said: “Dentsu stands as an unparalleled powerhouse of creativity, innovation, and exceptional talent. Our goal is to enhance our customer focus, adaptability, and inventiveness as we embark on the next phase of our growth journey. We aspire to be the primary choice for clients seeking progress for themselves and their customers in marketing, technology, and consulting. Narayan’s appointment seamlessly aligns with our global strategic vision. He has proven himself to be an invaluable asset at dentsu – a remarkable individual, a distinguished leader, and an outstanding professional. I wholeheartedly welcome Narayan to his new role.”

Devanathan added: “As someone who started off as a copywriter many years ago, I’ve never forgotten the unparalleled power of creativity to solve problems and unlevel the playing field. At dentsu, we’re now bringing that power to create positive change for companies and society. It starts with reminding our people of the power of a diverse collective and re-arming ourselves with new ways to collect and connect dots across the business spectrum. And in the process, we’re putting down three simple principles: have amazing fun, do the right thing, don’t settle for the status quo. I’m excited as I was on the first day of my first job to do all of the above, in partnership with Harsha, all of our wonderful people, our clients, and our partners. We’re the future we want to create.”