MUMBAI: Monks India, S4 Capital’s operating brand in India has appointed industry veteran Ketan Desai to lead Monks in a new era, solving the industry’s complexity challenge of speed, scale and spending.
Desai joins Monks at a pivotal time for the marketing industry, in which the economics have fundamentally changed thanks to rapid disruption by technology. Marketers now need partners that can remove complexity, orchestrating marketing that flows together with tech innovation.
He brings over 20 years of agency leadership experience, most recently serving as WPP Grey’s Chief Operating Officer. This experience in driving scaled marketing solutions for India’s top clients will help accelerate the Monks model of combining AI-powered end-to-end services with orchestrating the best talent, untethering marketers from archaic models and into new opportunities for growth.
Desai joins Monks on 3 February 2025 and will report to Kenny Griffiths, MD, APAC at Monks.
“We are excited to have Ketan Desai join us at a pivotal time for Monks in India. His extensive strategic experience in connecting India’s local strengths with global scale, will accelerate plans to grow our India business and deliver on our model that helps clients navigate complexity and transforms the economics of marketing,” said Griffiths.
Desai’s appointment represents a strategic shift for Monks in India, answering marketers’ need for a new vision and ecosystem to help them solve the complexity of today’s industry.
“Ketan Desai’s addition to the Monk’s leadership team marks a defining moment for our India operations. India is an important market for us, not only driving local growth but also serving as a hub for the region. The growth we’ve been able to achieve has set the stage for this next chapter.
“As we move from initiation to scaling, Ketan’s expertise in delivering scaled marketing solutions for India’s top clients will be instrumental in seamlessly integrating our vision for marketing and technology, helping marketers simplify complexity, innovate, and overcome their business challenges” said Bruno Lambertini, CEO of Marketing Services at Monks.
It is an evolution of a mission initiated since the genesis of Monks in India. This started with the merger of WhiteBalance in 2019. Robert Godinho, who founded Whitebalance ten years before the combination, has led Monks India’s studio for over five years, most recently serving as MD.
“As an original founder whose company merged with S4’s Monks, I will always be invested in its growth and success. This journey has been exhilarating and enlightening, building the India hub with artists collaborating on global work. My proudest achievement has been building the domestic business over the past year. I’m proud to say that in 2024, we’ve successfully integrated and aligned the organization with our global vision,” said Robert Godinho, outgoing Monks India MD.
Godinho will move on to a new challenge, after 15 years of an entrepreneurial journey. He will stay on for a sufficient time to onboard Desai and ensure a smooth transition.
