Publicis Groupe Thailand appoints co-CEOs amidst leadership shuffle

Publicis Groupe Thailand is moving to a co-CEO structure with Sorada Sonprasit (pictured centre), currently CEO of Brilliant & Million, and Paruj Daorai (pictured right), currently MD of Digitas Thailand, joining forces to lead the agency. Current CEO Songkran Sethesompobe (pictured left) will be moving on after 11 years of leadership. The appointment is effective 1 June with the outgoing CEO overlapping for a smooth transition until the end of June.

The move to a co-CEO structure in the market is in line with the scale of the Groupe’s business in Thailand, aligned with the ambition in the coming years to make Thailand a real focus for Groupe transformation and acceleration, as well as representative of the potential in Southeast Asia of Thailand as a market. This is to ensure that all business units are well-covered and well taken care of. Both Sonprasit and Daorai will report to Amrita Randhawa, CEO of Publicis Groupe, Singapore and Southeast Asia. 

Sonprasit started Brilliant & Million in 2007 after a career working with companies such as American Express and Citibank. In 2018, Brilliant & Million was integrated into Publicis Groupe. And there has been no looking back since. Beyond work, Sonprasit enjoys developing talent and is an honorary lecturer at many leading universities in Thailand.

Meanwhile, Daorai began his career in advertising as a copywriter. From a small agency in Bangkok to a degree in graphic design in the US and stints in ad and design firms across the US, Daorai returned to Bangkok to start the second phase of his career working at D'Arcy (DMB&B), Lowe Bangkok and Ogilvy Thailand. A move to the Leo Burnett Group Thailand shaped the third phase of his career. He also moved from creative director to ECD to launching Digitas Thailand. He is currently the president of Digital Advertising Association of Thailand.

Randhawa said she is delighted to see Sonprasit and Daorai step up into this role. "Both are leaders who have been ahead of their time in developing digitally-led services for clients and work really well in partnership with each other, making them a very strong choice as we continue to transform the Groupe and its services in Thailand," she added.

She also thanked Sethesompobe for his many years of service to the Groupe and for building strong relationships with its people and its clients. "He is a trusted voice who will be missed,” said Randhawa.

Sethesompobe joined Publicis Groupe as CEO of Leo Burnett Thailand in April 2011. In May 2016, he was appointed country head of Publicis Groupe Thailand. With the birth of Digitas Thailand and Prodigious and the acquisition of Brilliant & Million, the Groupe said that Sethesompobe continued to grow the business as well as championing bespoke client teams hubbed in Thailand, while supporting business units such as Publicis Sapient in their expansion.

Related article:
After KL and Shanghai, Publicis Groupe brings Digitas brand to Thailand