Dentsu Strengthens South Asia Leadership with Saagar Sethi as Chief Business Officer

Dentsu has appointed Saagar Sethi as Chief Business Officer, South Asia, effective September 1, 2026. In his new role, Sethi will oversee an expanded portfolio covering Investment & Trading, Media Planning & Operations, Performance Practice and Operational Excellence.

Expanded Leadership Mandate

By bringing these key commercial and operational functions under unified leadership, Dentsu aims to strengthen the connection between investment, planning, performance and delivery. The move is expected to support a more integrated and agile operating model for both clients and teams.

Sethi will report to Sujit Vaidya, Chief Financial Officer, with a matrix reporting relationship to Ajay Gupte, Chief Operating Officer.

Two Decades of Industry Experience

Sethi joined dentsu in 2022 and has been leading the Investment & Trading business. During his tenure, he has worked on strengthening strategic partnerships, enhancing commercial value creation and driving greater operational discipline across the organisation.

He brings more than 20 years of experience spanning media, commercial strategy, transformation, procurement and business operations.

Before joining dentsu, Sethi held senior leadership positions at LG Electronics and Ernst & Young, where he was involved in large-scale transformation, sourcing and operational excellence initiatives across domestic and international markets.

Focus on Integrated Growth

Commenting on the appointment, Harsha Razdan, CEO, South Asia, dentsu, said the Indian market is evolving rapidly, with brands increasingly focused on demonstrating tangible business outcomes.

“The Indian market is moving faster than any playbook can keep pace with. Brands here are being asked to show business outcomes, and the distance between a media decision and a commercial result has never been shorter. Our job is to close that distance for our clients,” Razdan said.

He added that Sethi’s experience across the commercial side of the business makes him well suited to lead the expanded portfolio.

“Putting investment, planning, performance, and operational excellence in one pair of hands gives clients a more direct line to growth. His understanding of how this organisation works makes him the right person to lead this portfolio,” Razdan added.

Sethi’s appointment comes as dentsu continues to evolve its operating model, with a focus on integrating capabilities, improving operational efficiency and creating stronger links between media investments and business outcomes for clients across South Asia.