Dentsu leadership shake-up: Anita Kotwani steps down as chief client officer

Anita Kotwani has moved on from her role, as chief client officer, dentsu South Asia marking the end of a significant tenure at dentsu, sources close to the development confirmed. Kotwani joined dentsu in 2020 as CEO of Carat India, guiding the agency through a period defined by shifting client expectations, rapid digital acceleration, and rising competition. In March 2023, she was promoted to CEO, Media South Asia, overseeing Carat, iProspect, dentsu X, Posterscope and Amplifi. During this phase, she collaborated closely with global and regional teams to evolve dentsu’s media offering into a more integrated, digital-first proposition.

Earlier this year, her role expanded further when she took on the position of Chief Client Officer. In this capacity, she led group-level client partnerships across Creative, Media, CXM, Brand Experience, Retail and Sports-Gaming-Entertainment (SGE), while also strengthening integrated solutions and driving growth in key markets.

Before joining dentsu, Kotwani spent over 15 years at Mindshare India in senior leadership positions, eventually leading new business nationally. She was instrumental in securing major mandates and managing large accounts across FMCG, entertainment, BFSI and diversified conglomerates. Prior to Mindshare, she held leadership roles at Initiative (Lintas Media Group), working with marquee clients such as Unilever, Videocon and Bombay Dyeing, and contributing to the development of media optimisation tools and research models.

Her early career began at Dainik Bhaskar Group, where she was involved in launching the brand in new North Indian markets, focusing on sales strategy, data analysis and market expansion.