Ajit Ramaswami departs Middle East for APAC strategic advisor role

Ajit Ramaswami, the CEO of MSL in the Middle East, has been promoted to a larger regional role, with his remit now spanning the Asia-Pacific region.

It was back in 2004 when Ajit Ramaswami first walked through MSL’s doors in the Middle East. Four years on, he was appointed chief executive officer.

During his tenure at the helm, Ramaswami led MSL – a strategic communications firm – through chapters of strong growth. Today, the firm has around 25 staff working for clients mainly in the UAE and Saudi markets, including the likes of Procter & Gamble and Samsung.

Commenting on his transition to the new role, Ramaswami said: “I’m incredibly proud of the past 19 years with MSL in the Middle East, but I am also excited for the opportunity to tap into a booming market such as Asia-Pacific.”

“I am grateful to Publicis Groupe’s leadership in the Middle East for enabling a culture of opportunity where this has been possible and to our valued clients who have entrusted us as their partner over the years. Lastly, I am immensely proud of my exceptional team, who I know will continue to thrive and deliver exceptional client results.”

Initially founded in the years before the second World War, MSL was established in its current form in 2009 when Manning Selvage & Lee merged with Publicis Consultants. Both firms were part of Publicis Groupe, which still is the parent of MSL. Publicis Groupe employs around 96,000 professionals in 100+ countries, of which around 2,000 serve MSL in 40 or so countries.

Appointed strategic advisor and corporate practice head for the Asia-Pacific region, Ramaswami will going forward focus on identifying and driving strategic initiatives that support MSL’s growth objectives across key thriving markets within Asia-Pacific.

He will work closely with the regional leadership team to provide strategic counsel to strengthen their offering with a focus on the corporate practice, introduce new, measurable solutions for clients and expand the network’s footprint across key markets and industries.

“It’s an exciting time for Ajit to be leveraging his expertise to unlock new opportunities in a new business landscape. I wish him the best in his new role,” said Bassel Kakish, CEO of Publicis Groupe for the Middle East and Turkey.