MSL elevates Amit Misra role to CEO, South East Asia

The new responsibility is in addition to his existing role as CEO, MSL South Asia.

Publicis Groupe today announced the appointment of Amit Misra as Chief Executive Officer, MSL South East Asia, in addition to his current role as CEO, MSL South Asia.

As part of his expanded responsibilities Amit will drive MSL’s growth in the South East Asia markets, leading a team of 100 colleagues across Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, along with 450 colleagues across 8 offices in South Asia. The elevation is in line with Publicis Groupe’s vision of fostering entrepreneurship within the Groupe’s strategic priorities.

Amit, who has steered MSL India for more than eight years, will work to drive Publicis Groupe’s Power of One solutions in the South East Asian markets.

Amit joined MSL India in 2013 and took over the India operations as CEO in 2015. Under his leadership, MSL India became a key contributor to Publicis South Asia’s growth, doubling revenues and emerging as the most awarded PR firm in India with 15 Agency of the Year wins. MSL India’s strong growth in recent years has been driven by its integrated communications offerings and it will continue to be the focus of the business under Amit’s leadership in South East Asia.

MSL India’s success story, helmed by Amit, has been given shape by a robust leadership team. The team was restructured recently, with a number of key promotions to reinforce MSL’s commitment in strategic growth areas:

Tushar Bajaj – managing director, Organic by MSL, Nikhil Lodaya – COO, MSL India, Vaishnavi Murali – COO, PCA, Parveez Modak – Managing Director, Strategy Group, Glen D’Souza – Managing Director, Media and Network Group, and Schubert Fernandes – Chief Client Officer. Amit will continue to work closely with the leadership team towards MSL’s expansion in the South Asia markets.

Speaking on Amit’s appointment, Amrita Randhawa said: “Amit has taken MSL to greater heights year on year in India and South Asia. Amit leading the mandate for two regions will further leverage the Publicis Groupe’s Power of One model, with MSL being a true powerhouse offering scale and depth of services to our clients. I have no doubt that MSL South East Asia will reach unprecedented heights with Amit’s leadership.”

Margaret Key added: “I am thrilled to have Amit join the APAC region in his expanded role. A respected industry leader, he has a deep understanding of these markets and has a proven track record of innovation and growth in the region. With his appointment, two strategic geographies in Asia have come together thereby unlocking incredible opportunities for MSL. I look forward to working closely with him.”

Amit Misra said: “At MSL, we get together the best of technology, content, creativity and digital prowess to deliver transformative ideas for our clients. MSL’s journey in South Asia over the last few years has been enriching and exhilarating at the same time and I look forward to taking my learnings to the expanded role. This is a tremendous opportunity to create interesting synergies across geographies from the perspective of our clients and talent and I remain excited about our growth in Asia.”