Storyboard18 | Sidharth Rao quits dentsuMB Group

Webchutney founder and dentsuMB CEO Sidharth Rao has decided to move on to explore new opportunities.

Sidharth Rao, CEO, dentsuMB Group has put in his papers. Rao is the founder of Webchutney, one of India’s first digital shops, which was acquired by Dentsu India in 2013. Rao put out a Tweet stating that he has decided to “startup” again. Rao founded Webchutney about 23 years ago at the age of 19.

After 23 years at @webchutney, it’s time to start-up again! pic.twitter.com/ty6DzbB4wJ

— Sidharth Rao (@sidharthrao) May 25, 2022

In October 2021, when Dentsu Webchutney announced the departure of Gautam Reghunath, CEO & PG Aditiya, CCO, it was stated by the company that Rao will be back under the direct charge and will front the agency’s talented leadership.

Rao wasn’t overseeing the daily operation of the company in the recent past. However, it looks like things aren’t working out as planned for the network. While Rao has decided to move on to explore new opportunities, industry observers say this exit will further impact Dentsu International’s image, especially on the talent front.

Rao will exit by end of the year. Post that, dentsuMB India will come under the additional charge of Heeru Dingra, chief executive officer, Isobar India group. Dingra will have Ajit Devraj, Indrajeet Mookerjee and Harsh Shah in her senior leadership team. They will closely work with Rao through the transition along with Amit Wadhwa, chief executive officer, dentsu Creative India.

Rao is also the writer of the book How I Almost Blew It, an anthology of the myriad stories of Indian entrepreneurs such as Deepinder Goyal, Deep Kalra, Girish Mathrubootham. He is also an active angel investor and mentors newbie entrepreneurs.

The Indian unit of Dentsu Group Inc has been rocked by a series of senior-level exits since August 2012, potentially causing more departures, and deepening turmoil at the advertising company.

Agency insiders tell Storyboard18 that in the last few months there have been several mid and senior level exits. The network company still has no CEO to run the show. In the month of March, Storyboard18 had reached out to Wendy Clark, Global CEO, dentsu international to understand the company’s plans for getting a CEO for the India market and the state of business here. There was no response to the questions that were sent by Storyboard18.