WPP's Country Manager for India CVL Srinivas to retire

WPP today announces that CVL Srinivas (Srini), Country Manager for India, will retire from the company at the end of March 2026, concluding a distinguished 36-year career. Under his leadership since 2017, India has been transformed into one of WPP’s most strategic and dynamic markets, rising to become a top-four revenue contributor globally for the company.

Srini’s 20-year tenure at WPP has been defined by exceptional growth, operational excellence and a steadfast commitment to fostering a collaborative and innovative culture. He has successfully integrated WPP’s agency and specialist offerings in India, unleashing the full power of the company for clients while establishing the country as a global hub for next-generation services and talent.

Cindy Rose, CEO of WPP, said: “Srini is a truly outstanding leader whose vision has been instrumental in transforming India into one of WPP’s most important and dynamic markets globally. He has not only delivered exceptional growth but has also built an incredible culture of collaboration and innovation. From establishing our integrated campuses to scaling our global delivery and tech capabilities, his legacy is a stronger, more unified, and future-ready WPP in India, perfectly positioned to harness our AI advantage for our clients. We are deeply grateful for his immense contributions, and we all wish him the absolute best for the future.”

Reflecting on his journey, CVL Srinivas said: “Leading WPP in India has been the privilege of a lifetime. I am incredibly proud of what our 11,000-strong team has built together – a market defined by growth, innovation, and most importantly, a shared purpose. Our foundation is strong, and the potential for India to drive WPP’s global agenda is boundless. I will be cheering from the sidelines as I look forward to my next chapter.”

During Srini’s leadership, WPP has achieved remarkable milestones in India:

  • Strategic growth: India ascended from outside the top 12 to become one of WPP’s top four markets globally by revenue for WPP, a testament to sustained, strategic excellence.
  • Scale and innovation: The operations in India now encompass over 11,000 people across agencies, a scaled Global Delivery Centre (GDC), and critical global support and functions. India is a powerhouse of delivering innovative solutions to clients across the world, leveraging a highly skilled and specialist talent base building future-facing, creative-tech platforms.
  • Integrated client solutions: Srini championed and built integrated client teams that consistently rank among the best-rated by WPP’s global clients, delivering seamless, fullservice capabilities.
  • Collaborative culture: Under his leadership, WPP established three collaborative campuses (Mumbai, Gurgaon, Chennai) and nurtured a unique partnership culture by bringing together people across agencies, through leadership commitment and communities like WPP Stream, Creative Tech, WPP Stella Network, Unite, and the People Forum.
  • Creativity and technology: Key initiatives like the Creative Tech Experience Centres in the Mumbai and Gurgaon Campuses, WPP Stream Jaipur, and the WPP Ignite Awards were launched and scaled, firmly placing creativity and technology at the heart of the organisation.
  • Social impact: Under his chairmanship, the WPP India Foundation expanded its reach, supporting nearly 20,000 children. He also positioned WPP as a leader in industry-wide sustainability efforts, including as a founding member of Xynteo’s Vikaasa coalition.
  • Recognised industry leader: Before his role as WPP’s Country Manager for India, Srini held senior positions including CEO – South Asia at GroupM and CEO Asia Pacific at Maxus. He was part of the pioneering team that launched India’s first media Agency of Record (Fulcrum for HUL) in 1995. An active industry voice, he has served on the boards of BARC, ABC, MRUC, and IAA, and was a founding co-chairman of MMA India. He has been ranked among the most influential people in media and marketing in India and his leadership has been recognised with numerous awards, including the IAA Media Agency Head of the Year (2015), e4m’s Most Influential Person (2017-18), the XLRI Distinguished Alumnus Award (2023), and most recently, the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2025 Media Ace Awards.

Srini leaves behind a powerful legacy and a fantastic leadership team who will continue to push forward and grow WPP’s strong market-leading position in media and creativity. The next phase of leadership for India will be announced in due course.

Further information WPP Communications press@wpp.com

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