Gurugram, Haryana, India, September 2025 — WPP Media has announced the appointment of Ashwin Padmanabhan as its new Chief Operating Officer. With over two decades of experience in media, broadcasting, and business leadership, Ashwin will focus on driving operational excellence, innovation, and growth strategies for one of the world’s most influential media networks.
Ashwin joins WPP Media after a successful stint at GroupM South Asia, where he spent more than seven years in senior leadership roles. Most recently, he served as Chief Operating Officer, GroupM South Asia, leading operations across the region. Prior to that, he was President – Investments, Trading & Partnerships, where he oversaw trading, media partnerships, and investment strategies. He had earlier led the organization’s trading function as Head – Trading and Partnerships, following his tenure as President – Partnerships and Trading. During his time at GroupM, he was instrumental in strengthening market partnerships and delivering strategic value for clients.
Before GroupM, Ashwin was part of Reliance Broadcast Network for over a decade, where he played a transformative role across multiple verticals. He served as Chief Operating Officer of the company, following his leadership as National Head – 92.7 BIG FM, Regional Head – 92.7 BIG FM, and National Head – BIG Street, the company’s out-of-home business. He also worked as Station Head – 92.7 BIG FM Delhi and Cluster Director – Andhra Pradesh, 92.7 BIG FM, contributing to the brand’s rapid scale-up and leadership in the Indian radio space.
Ashwin began his career in operations at Reliance Industries Limited as an Assistant Manager – Operations, before going on to establish his entrepreneurial venture, SuperSeva Global Services Pvt Ltd, where he served as Founder and Director. He later worked at Ilabs Limited as a Business Analyst and at Visage Media Services as Director – Content Development, strengthening his expertise in strategy, content, and business development.
Over the years, Ashwin has built a reputation for scaling businesses, forging strong industry partnerships, and driving transformation across diverse roles. His appointment at WPP Media reflects the company’s commitment to harnessing his rich expertise in building future-ready media and partnership ecosystems.
About WPP Media
WPP Media is WPP’s global media collective, designed for the AI era. Bringing together the best platforms, people, and partners, WPP Media creates innovative solutions that deliver growth for brands in every market, every day. Constantly evolving with the rapidly changing media landscape, WPP Media is at the forefront of shaping how brands connect with consumers in meaningful, data-driven, and impactful ways.
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