Grey's APAC Middle East, Africa COO Nirvik Singh elevated as global COO

Advertising veteran Nirvik Singh, who is chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of ad agency Grey’s APAC, Middle East, and Africa regions, has been elevated as global chief operating officer (COO) at the network.

The position, newly created within Grey, part of the WPP group, will see Singh remain in Singapore, where he is currently based. He will also retain his current role as Grey’s APAC, Middle East and Africa head, in a growing trend of global ad agency networks giving dual responsibilities to key personnel within their groups.

On Friday, Ashish Bhasin, who was elevated as Dentsu Aegis Network’s APAC CEO, retained his role as India chairman of the agency. He also became the first Indian within Dentsu to be promoted as APAC CEO and to be part of the global executive team.

Singh’s elevation as COO comes when global ad agency managements are giving top priority to the India market and to talent emerging from there. His will be the second high-profile promotion of an Indian advertising professional within a week and the third this calendar year. 

In January, Piyush Pandey, executive chairman and creative director, Ogilvy (South Asia), took over as the latter’s worldwide chief creative officer. Ogilvy is also part of the WPP network. 

An advertising professional for three decades, Singh has spent much of his time at Grey, heading its Kolkata office, working in multiple centres such as New Delhi and Mumbai, before becoming India head of the agency in the 1990s. He moved to Singapore in 2009 after being elevated as Grey’s APAC head that year. He was given additional responsibility of the Middle East and Africa in 2016.

Under Singh’s leadership, Grey has positioned itself among WPP’s top advertising networks in India and other parts of APAC, Africa, and Middle East. 

As COO, Singh will lead the development of Grey’s borderless integrated marketing model, identify acquisition targets and new capabilities to enhance the agency’s suite of services.

“I look forward to implementing Grey’s global strategic plans and working with diverse talents and teams across markets,” Singh said. “There are ample opportunities to leverage the agency's centres of excellence and promote collaboration across all offices,” he said.  Apart from his duties at Grey, Singh is also non-executive chairman of Raymond Apparel and is an independent director on the board of Shoppers Stop.