Mumbai: In one of the most significant leadership overhauls in India’s advertising sector, Omnicom Media has appointed a new top management team to steer its operations during the final stages of its global merger with Interpublic Group (IPG). The new structure places Kartik Sharma as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for India, Amardeep Singh as Chief Operating Officer (COO), Rishit Mehta as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Shashi Sinha as Strategic Advisor.
The appointments, shared internally and confirmed by industry sources, are expected to be formally announced on Omnicom’s India portal in the coming days. The company declined to comment.
Leadership Overhaul for a Post-Merger India
Sharma, who has led Omnicom Media Group (OMG) India since 2020, will now oversee the combined operations of Omnicom and IPG in India—one of the world’s fastest-growing advertising markets. With more than two decades of leadership at Wavemaker/Maxus, Madison Media and Mindshare, Sharma is seen as critical to stabilising the merged entity’s India presence and protecting marquee agency-of-record mandates.
Amardeep Singh, formerly CEO of IPG Mediabrands, steps in as COO. Singh’s experience spanning planning, buying, data, and commerce across major global networks positions him to lead integration across the two groups’ capabilities under a unified India leadership.
Industry veteran Shashi Sinha, former executive chairman of IPG Mediabrands, has been named Strategic Advisor for the combined India entity. His elevation signals Omnicom’s focus on continuity and seasoned oversight in what insiders describe as “the most complex agency consolidation the market has seen.”
Rishit Mehta joins as CFO, a move announced by Tony Harradine, CEO of Omnicom Media APAC.
Set Against a $30-Billion Global Merger
The leadership changes come as Omnicom advances towards completing its all-stock acquisition of IPG, a $30+ billion mega-deal announced in December 2024. The transaction aims for approximately $750 million in targeted cost synergies and is undergoing regulatory clearance in major markets through 2025.
Once combined, the merged group will become the world’s largest advertising and marketing services company by revenue, reshaping competitive dynamics across creative, media and specialty services.
Implications for India: Integration, Scale and Risk
In India, the merged portfolio spans leading media and creative brands across FMCG, auto, tech, BFSI and e-commerce categories. The integration is expected to bring:
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Unified trading and measurement infrastructure across linear TV, CTV/OTT and performance channels
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Pooled buying power in a softer GRP market
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Standardised attention and brand-lift frameworks for multinational clients
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Strengthened outcome-linked mandates in retail media and commerce
People familiar with the transition note that the merged India operation is likely to run a single P&L, with back-end finance, billing, and trading desks consolidated while legacy agency brands continue to face the market during the near-term stabilisation period.
Market watchers caution that execution risk remains high, with the need to reconcile taxonomies, platforms and commercial structures across both groups. However, the expanded scale gives Omnicom increased negotiating muscle and a broader technology stack for clients.
A Critical Moment for the India Market
With India emerging as the fastest-growing major advertising market globally, Omnicom’s restructuring is being viewed as a decisive move to maintain stability and clarity amid industry-wide disruption.
As one senior industry insider put it, “This is Omnicom signalling that India is too important to leave any room for integration turbulence.”
Formal announcements are expected shortly as Omnicom prepares its India-facing communication for the structural transition.
