Mumbai: Veteran media leader Ravi Rao has joined Flam, a pioneering AI infrastructure and mixed reality advertising platform, as Advisor – Agency & Enterprise Sales, International Markets. He confirmed the appointment via LinkedIn.
Flam is building next-generation AI infrastructure that powers immersive, omnichannel advertising experiences for brands. Its innovation spans across Digital, Broadcast TV, Retail, Communications, Print, Out-of-Home (OOH), and beyond — enabling brands to transform every consumer touchpoint into a personalized, interactive experience. The company is redefining how consumers engage with ads, content, retail environments, live broadcasts, and fan moments.
With a career spanning over three decades, Rao brings deep expertise in media, advertising, and organizational transformation. His appointment at Flam marks yet another step in his journey of advising and scaling future-ready marketing ventures.
Earlier this year, Rao founded Graviti Advisory (March 2025), a consultancy focused on helping organizations navigate change, scale effectively, and create lasting impact. He also serves as Managing Partner at Climaty AI (since April 2025), where he is driving innovation at the intersection of performance marketing and climate responsibility — integrating Agentic AI, carbon intelligence, and Programmatic+ to help brands scale responsibly.
Previously, Rao was Founding Partner & CEO – Middle East & Africa at Turbostart, a role he held from January 2023 to January 2025.
Before these ventures, Rao was CEO of GroupM MENA, a position he held for over three years. He joined GroupM from Mindshare MENA, where he served as CEO after a stint as Chief Client Officer. He relocated to Dubai in May 2015 from India, where he held leadership roles including Leader – South Asia and Leader: Team Unilever South Asia at Mindshare.
Rao also spent nearly seven years at Omnicom Media Group (MENA) until September 2008, and started his career at Lintas India before moving to Impact BBDO. In July 1999, he joined Mindshare MENA as Director, Head of Middle East North Africa — marking the beginning of his long-standing association with the region.
With his diverse experience across markets and sectors, Rao is expected to play a pivotal role in Flam’s international expansion and enterprise strategy.
