40 Under 40 2023: Rohit Nair, Grey Group

Rohit Nair began his career at Grey Group in 2012 and rose through the ranks to become the group's youngest account director. In 2019, he was presented with an opportunity to revamp the company amidst one of its toughest periods, taking on the current role of managing director of International New Business. 

Since taking on the position, he has delivered creative, award-winning work, such as the Plastic Diet WWF in 2022, and has been running the group’s most globally profitable account, leading one of their largest client business in APAC, and has won Grey its biggest new APAC business wins. His ability to drive business growth and integrate solutions alongside big ideas through a borderless network made a lasting impact that would optimise the financial success of the agency and its clients.

To capture creative opportunity and integrate solutions with big ideas, Nair had orchestrated a “one-team global agency” approach. A case in point was the production and operation of a best-in-class campaign for their largest client in North Asia—working with the Australian team to create a talent arbitrage network between production capabilities in Thailand and New York. 

Going beyond borders, cultures and time zones, Nair leads the team in Singapore to collaborate with the Australian office to create a talent arbitrage network between production capabilities in Thailand and New York. This was a true demonstration of culture-in-action and ultimately altered how internal leadership thinks about network and collaboration across the wider group—influencing systematic and cultural changes in how organisations operate. 

Outside of the business, Nair's sense of obligation extends to paving a more accessible path for others through mentorship and initiatives. He co-created Grey XpertSpeak, a global in-house masterclass program, and co-founded The Grey NextGen Program to nurture future leaders. He is also involved in mentoring students through the "We Got This" talent mentorship platform and has launched initiatives focused on sustainability and Covid awareness, including the group's first-ever Sustainability Survey and global Sustainability platform. 

By demonstrating modern leadership with commercial acumen, Nair has shown he can be a robust executive, a gentle mentor, and a well-deserved candidate for Campaign’s 2023 class of 40 Under 40.