Jakarta: GroupM has announced that Himanshu Shekhar will be taking over from Ed Thesiger as the CEO of GroupM Indonesia, effective 1st January 2019.
Shekhar has been based in Indonesia since March 2010 when he joined as the Managing Director for Mindshare’s business with Unilever. He was later promoted to CEO of Mindshare Indonesia in December 2011.
While at the helm of Mindshare Indonesia, he consistently delivered strong growth for the agency and positioned Mindshare as the market leader in digital transformation. In January 2015, Shekhar was promoted to his current position, CEO of Mindshare South East Asia, the company said in a statement.
Thesiger, CEO GroupM Indonesia and Vietnam, will be relocating to the UK at the end of March 2019 to set up his own consulting business.
Commenting on the appointment, Mark Patterson, CEO GroupM APAC, said, “Indonesia continues to be a key growth market for us, and I am delighted that we have been able to promote from within for this important leadership position. Himanshu has a proven track record with a depth of experience and industry relationships that is second to none in that market. I would also like to thank Ed for his energy, passion and outstanding leadership over the past seven years. We are sorry to see him leave the region and wish him every success on his new venture back in the UK.”
Amrita Randhawa, CEO Mindshare APAC, added, “Himanshu has built Mindshare into a titan of an organisation in Indonesia and driven its strength, reputation and leadership stature across South East Asia. His knowledge of Indonesia and our clients’ core needs in the market is unparalleled and therefore there is no one better suited to step into the GroupM leadership position. We are rooting for Himanshu’s success in this next chapter of his career and are confident that he will continue to be an incredible partner for Mindshare and our client’s growth story in Indonesia.”
Speaking of his promotion Shekhar noted, “Leading GroupM Indonesia is a massive responsibility. Across our agencies, Mediacom, Mindshare, Wavemaker and Essence, we have some of the brightest minds working with super successful brands on creating media for business growth. I am thankful to our leadership and teams for building trusted partnerships with clients, media and tech ecosystems over the years. Today, Indonesia’s media is among the most vibrant globally. We have global innovation originating here and best practices taking shape in some areas. Our global networks have been deeply committed to this already, and I am excited to add my efforts to this journey. I am thankful for the trust, and look forward to working together with our wonderful teams and partners.”
Thesiger added, “It has been an absolute privilege leading such a talented group over the past 7 years. Himanshu has been a cornerstone of the team for the duration of my tenure and I look forward to seeing him drive the business on to the next level in the coming years.”
Ed will work closely with Himanshu to ensure a smooth transition over the coming weeks. Details of Ed’s successor in Vietnam and Himanshu’s successor will be the subject of separate communications in due course, the company said.
Shekhar will continue to be based in Jakarta with his family and will report directly to Mark Patterson.
