Head of Media

Company description Publicis Groupe is a global leader in communication, founded in 1926. Positioned at every step of the value chain, from consulting to execution, Publicis Groupe combines marketing transformation with digital business transformation. Publicis Groupe is a privileged partner in its clients’ transformation to enhance personalization at scale. The Groupe relies on several areas of expertise concentrated within four primary activities: Communication, Media, Data and Technology. Through a unified and fluid organization, our clients enjoy facilitated access to its expertise in every market. We have more than 200 capabilities globally including creative, media, digital, tech, data, commerce, content, health, B2B, experiential, OOH, Design, production and more. Present in over 100 countries, Publicis Groupe employs around 103,000 professionals. With our impetus on technology, the Groupe helps large corporations and brands succeed in a digital and data first world and its key clients include Procter & Gamble, Nestle, Marico, GSK, Hero, Renault, Bajaj, ITC etc. To strengthen our tech and data capabilities, the Groupe acquired Sapient in 2015 and Epsilon in 2019 respectively. As a Connecting Company, we are able to deliver as the Power of One - driven by a common purpose, a powerful spirit, shared behaviors, great character and a relentless focus on our clients. Publicis Groupe South Asia is an integral part of Publicis Groupe. With operations in India and Sri Lanka, we have 4000+ employees. We have presence across 9 agency brands and multiple specialist units across Data, Commerce, Content, Production, Health, B2B, Experiential/Shopper marketing amongst others. Between the various company brands and practices there are 700+ clients. The company brands include Leo, Performics, Publicis, Digitas, Saatchi, Starcom, Indigo Consulting, MSL, Zenith, and BBH. In addition, we have set up large outsourcing hubs catering to Media-tech and production for global clients. Publicis Groupe South Asia is led by Anupriya Acharya, Group CEO. She oversees all group companies. Anupriya is from IIT Roorkee, has vast leadership experience across India and the APAC region. She is also the President of AAAI, besides being on several industry forums. She is the only woman leader of a global communications group in India and is supported by several senior and accomplished business professionals in charge of individual agencies, functions and practices. Overview Publicis Groupe India is seeking a visionary and execution-focused Chief Operating Officer to lead the operational transformation of one of the most integrated marketing, media, data, technology, consulting, and commerce ecosystems in the region. As a critical member of the India Groupe Leadership Team, the Head of Media will architect and scale the operating backbone of the India business, ensuring seamless execution of the “Power of One” model while accelerating growth, profitability, operational excellence, digital transformation, and talent productivity across multiple agencies, capabilities, and Centers of Excellence. This role will be based in Gurgaon and will oversee enterprise operations across India, partnering closely with business leaders across media, creative, data, digital, consulting, commerce, health, and shared capability hubs. Publicis’ country-led model is designed to break down silos, unify leadership, and accelerate cross-capability collaboration, making this Head of Media role central to execution in India. Responsibilities 1. Enterprise Operating Leadership Design and lead the India operating model across all Groupe entities Drive execution of the “Power of One” framework across business units Establish a unified operational governance model across agencies and capabilities Build scalable infrastructure to support organic and inorganic growth Drive standardization while preserving entrepreneurial agility 2. Strategic Transformation Lead enterprise transformation initiatives across: AI enablement Workflow automation Shared services optimization Delivery model redesign Capability integration Global process localization Build and run an India Transformation Office Recent India initiatives like PDX reflect Publicis’ AI-led platform expansion, which increases the need for integrated operating leadership. 3. Financial & Commercial Performance Partner with CFO and solution CEOs to drive: Margin expansion Cost optimization Productivity improvement Resource utilization Revenue predictability Own: Operating margin targets EBITDA improvement programs Delivery economics Resource pyramid optimization Bench utilization 4. Delivery & Execution Excellence Build a best-in-class operational delivery engine Improve turnaround times and delivery governance Ensure SLA adherence across all internal and client-facing operations Implement enterprise PMO standards Build execution dashboards and predictive analytics 5. Shared Services Leadership Lead and optimize: Facilities & Administration Procurement Vendor Management Workplace Experience Legal Operations Business Continuity Security & Compliance IT Operations Employee Services 6. Talent Productivity & Workforce Planning Partner with Talent leadership to: Build workforce planning frameworks Improve utilization and productivity metrics Design capability deployment models Optimize hiring and internal mobility Drive leadership succession 7. Technology & Automation Lead enterprise adoption of: AI copilots Workflow tools CRM and ERP integration Resource management systems Business intelligence platforms Drive automation across: Staffing Finance workflows Procurement Project management Client reporting 8. Client & Growth Enablement Partner with solution leaders on: Large transformation pitches Integrated client solutions New capability launches M&A integration Cross-sell operating readiness 9. Governance, Risk & Compliance Establish robust governance across India Ensure compliance with: Corporate policies Audit standards Data governance Information security Vendor governance Business continuity Qualifications 22+ years of leadership experience Proven success leading complex, multi-business organizations Experience in one or more of: Marketing Services Consulting Digital Transformation IT Services Global Capability Centers Media Networks Preferred backgrounds include leaders from: Accenture Deloitte Digital/EY/PwC WPP Omnicom Group Dentsu Cognizant Infosys Education MBA from a premier institution preferred Engineering / Operations / Finance background advantageous Additional information Enterprise Scale Leadership Strategic Execution Financial Acumen Change Leadership Operational Rigor Stakeholder Management Executive Presence Digital Fluency Data-driven Decision Making Talent Builder