dentsu Creative Malaysia picks new managing director

Dentsu Creative Malaysia has named Uday Desai (pictured) as its managing director. In his new role, Desai will drive the evolution of its creative business.

Desai has over 20 years of experience in shaping brands across APAC, MENA and India. He joins dentsu with extensive client experience across major agency groups, having driven transformation through integrated strategies for global brands across multiple regions and sectors, including automotive. 

Prior to joining dentsu Creative Malaysia, Desai was an integrated client partner at dentsu Vietnam and the international business lead at Hakuhodo First. He also helmed the role of regional business director at BBDO Worldwide and was the chief client officer at Publicis One. 

Don't miss: Dentsu SG appoints CXM and media MD 

“Creativity and innovation are cornerstones of our dentsu heritage that is ingrained in how we deliver world-class brand journeys for our clients in Malaysia. As we continue to push the boundaries of excellence as a creative powerhouse, I am excited for Desai to take his extensive experience and passion for innovation, and people-centric leadership in reimagining brand transformations for our clients, as he takes the helm of our creative business," said Audrey Chong, CEO, dentsu Malaysia. 

Commenting on his role, Desai said "Two key dentsu principles truly resonate with me: the philosophy of 'innovating to impact' and our unwavering approach to solving business challenges as One Dentsu."

"Along with the exceptional talent and cutting-edge tools that we have within our powerhouse, we are an unstoppable force of creativity and innovation. I am thrilled to be part of a team that is not only redefining creativity but also driving meaningful outcomes for our clients and the community," he added. 

Desai's appointment comes as dentsu makes numerous appointments across its network. At the start of the year, dentsu Singapore appointed Rahul Thappa as managing director of customer experience management (CXM) and media, effective immediately.

Not long before that, the network named Dan Pantumsinchai as the managing director of gaming for dentsu APAC in October last year. 

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Dentsu APAC names new managing director of gaming  
dentsu's APAC CEO Robert Gilby steps down 
Dentsu Creative MY's CEO Kunal Roy steps down