GroupM Southeast Asia CEO Himanshu Shekhar Moves On

According to industry reports, Himanshu Shekhar, who has been GroupM's CEO for Southeast Asia since May 2023, is leaving this month, capping a 25-year career.

Shekhar, who is well-known for his leadership and strategic thinking, has played a significant role in growing and enhancing GroupM's presence in important regional markets, particularly Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Shekhar is based in Indonesia and initially joined GroupM through MindShare. Beginning in 2010, he oversaw the Unilever team in the Indonesian market.

He succeeded Ed Thesiger as CEO of GroupM Indonesia in 2018 and has since led data-driven marketing solutions for leading local and international companies, including Shopee, Unilever, Nestle, GSK, and Indofood.

When he was appointed CEO for all of Southeast Asia in May 2023, his duties were further expanded.

Although Shekhar has not yet disclosed his next course of action, the report notes that his departure is consistent with a larger leadership reorganisation within GroupM's Asia-Pacific business.

To strengthen its regional competencies and promote closer cooperation among its agencies—Mindshare, Wavemaker, and EssenceMediaCom—the company implemented several organisational adjustments last year.