FCB India's Dheeraj Sinha on commanding agency results and self-respect

As India's advertising industry rides a digital boom towards unprecedented growth projections, the market continues to outpace global forecasts, cementing its position as one of Asia's most dynamic advertising landscapes. Within this rapidly expanding ecosystem, FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding), one of advertising's oldest networks with a legacy spanning over 150 years globally and six decades in India, continues to navigate the evolving media landscape.

The agency's enduring presence in India, marking its 60th year, represents one of advertising's most established legacies in the subcontinent. From its early days of shaping brand narratives in a nascent post-independence market to its current position as a significant industry player, FCB's journey mirrors the evolution of Indian advertising itself. This heritage, while prestigious, carries with it the weight of expectation—the delicate balance of preserving a storied legacy whilst adapting to an increasingly digitised, fast-paced marketing environment.

Dheeraj Sinha's trajectory in advertising spans two decades, marked by his roles across major networks. Before his current position as CEO of FCB Group India and South Asia, he served as the CEO for Leo Burnett South Asia and chairman for BBH India, where he spent over a decade shaping the agency's strategic direction. His professional background includes authoring books such as "Consumer India: Inside the Indian Mind and Wallet" and "India Reloaded: Inside the Resurgent Indian Consumer Market", works that examine the evolving Indian consumer landscape. Known for his data-orientated approach to creativity, Sinha's career has been characterised by his focus on connecting market insights with creative solutions.

When Sinha assumed his new role in September 2023, succeeding industry veteran Rohit Ohri, he inherited not just an organisation in transition, but the custodianship of one of advertising's most enduring legacies. The subsequent months have brought significant shifts at FCB India. The agency has seen the departure of several cornerstone leaders, including veterans who had shaped the agency's creative identity for over a decade. These exits, while challenging, have run parallel to notable achievements: A reinforced presence at Cannes Lions that has helped to bolster the perception of FCB India on the global stage, and perhaps most significantly, winning the KFC account—a dramatic shift that saw the brand move from Ogilvy after a decades-long relationship, in one of the most significant account movements of the year.

The advertising industry's scrutiny of new leadership is particularly intense, especially in a market where agencies are confronting technological disruption, shifting consumer behaviours, and increasing demands for measurable results. Sinha's tenure comes at a time when the industry itself is questioning traditional agency models and exploring new paradigms for creativity and effectiveness. The challenge lies not just in steering the agency through contemporary challenges, but in ensuring that six decades of brand equity evolve meaningfully into the digital age.

Campaign sat down with Sinha for a discussion about his first months at the helm. In this candid exchange, Sinha reflects on the challenges of organisational transformation, his understanding of the evolving advertising landscape, and the legacy he envisions crafting in India's competitive market.

CAMPAIGN: How have the last few months been in your new role?

DHEERAJ SINHA: It’s been about 12 months since I took over, and if I reflect, it’s been a great one. If I assess the talent stack at FCB Group now, we have a formidable top leadership team. We’ve strengthened our core new chief creative officers, managing directors, and strategy leads. We’ve promoted from within and brought in new talent—which has resulted in great chemistry and energy in our leadership meetings. The talent is in place, and business-wise, we’ve secured major accounts. Our organic growth has also been strong. Creatively, our lineup on brands like Google, Uber, and KFC looks very promising. We’ve also been recognised with significant awards at Cannes and the Abbys, plus a few 'Agency of the Year' awards. Reflecting on it, it’s been hard work, but we’ve achieved a lot, and it looks great to me.

You had a well-established role at Leo Burnett. What prompted your move to FCB?

I have a background as a planner and strategist, with APAC roles at Bates and Grey for about eight years in total. During that time, I was travelling, handling big accounts, and enjoying life. But I felt that as a planner, you can’t change the whole advertising ecosystem. There was a lot of negativity about the industry—clients not paying or not attracting top talent. At that point, the options were either to leave the industry as a CMO or stay and take the bull by the horns, building a successful, creatively sexy agency. At Leo Burnett, we did just that. When I left, we were top eight in the world on the creativity rankings, with a fantastic partnership. We were commanding premium deals, winning new business without pitching, and working with incredible talent. Everything was going well, but then I started conversations with FCB, and after a year of talks, what stood out was that FCB was a network that kept creativity at its core, which resonated with me. Many organisations are vacating that position, but FCB believes in creativity as an economic multiplier. With its scale in India across brands like Kinnect, Ulka, and Interface, I saw the opportunity for a bigger impact by implementing similar principles on a much larger scale. That’s why I took this role—to replicate the success we achieved at Leo Burnett but at a more extensive level and within a network deeply committed to creativity.

With any leadership change come the inevitable shifts in team, and FCB has seen some high-profile departures in recent months. How much of this do you attribute to the leadership transition and cultural fit?

We need to double-click on this narrative—as there are multiple reasons. When I joined, some senior leaders were already on the verge of retirement. Many departures were on a natural course, independent of my joining. Other departures occurred due to unfulfilled promises or a mismatch between the individuals’ aspirations and the leadership team’s evaluation of timelines for certain opportunities. Of course, when a new leader comes in with a vision, some people may feel it’s not aligned with their goals and choose to leave. But on the whole, we’ve promoted more people from within than hired externally. Leaders like Gaurav Dudeja—now CEO of FCB Interface—and Ruchita Purohit, promoted to president, are examples of talent who’ve been with FCB for years and are doing outstanding work. We’ve also brought in Neville Shah from Ogilvy as chief creative officer for Kinnect and created several new positions to bolster our leadership stack. So, while some exits were expected or due to specific decisions, the focus has also been on promoting and empowering our internal talent.

Do you feel that leadership changes often bring existing undercurrents in a company’s culture to the surface, that then facilitate wider decisions about people and business direction?

I’d say each situation is unique. In our case, I’d estimate about 60–70% of departures would have happened regardless of my arrival. However, certain decisions, like re-evaluating promotions or bringing in specific leaders, may have catalysed a few exits. Additionally, some moves are about addressing existing gaps or creating roles essential to FCB’s future vision. So, while leadership change can bring latent issues to the forefront, in our case, it was a mix of preordained changes, role evaluations, and new vision fulfilment.

You’ve come from Leo Burnett, with its own established culture. What do you say to those who feel you might try to replicate that culture at FCB?

Leo Burnett was a great success, and we learned valuable lessons there—particularly around creating a culture of collectivity: We, not I. Leaving your ego outside the door and fostering a collaborative environment was central. At [Leo] Burnett, there was also an emphasis on benchmarking work against the best globally, hiring young talent, and empowering them to win. Those are fundamental principles that benefit any agency. However, FCB has a legacy over 150 years old, with more than 60 years in India, so I’m not here to reinvent everything. It’s about change with continuity. FCB’s culture has deep roots—in fact, I recently read a book by Arvind Wable, former CEO of FCB Ulka, that highlights similar values of entrepreneurial spirit, lack of hierarchy, and emphasis on hands-on leadership. The idea is not to impose an external culture but to respect the existing core and enhance it to meet our clients’ evolving needs.

What specifically do you want to bring to FCB?

The core aspect is ambition: We want to be the best creative agency in the world, and FCB’s global vision under Tyler Turnbull [FCB global CEO] is to reach that number one spot. To achieve this, we focus on accessibility—meaning I don’t run things with a small, exclusive leadership team but with a broader set of leaders, allowing an open-door approach for anyone to contribute. I’m also very clear about leading from the front—never asking someone to do something I wouldn’t do myself. In this way, it’s a flat, open environment where designations matter less, and talent shines through regardless of title.

Let's talk a little about about your leadership style. You’re known as quite a polarising figure in the industry—some find your approach visionary, while others feel it’s too driven and intense. How would you describe your style, and how has it evolved over time?

I’m a big believer in outcome orientation. For me, leadership isn’t just about input but the tangible results we deliver—whether that’s revenue, creative accolades, career growth, or client success. At my previous agency, people who worked with me saw their remuneration double in four years. I also believe in leading from the front. I wouldn’t ask someone to handle something I can’t demonstrate or walk them through. I see my role as empowering people to perform, giving them room to fail, and backing them up when they need it. There’s also a fine line between confidence and arrogance—I’m not saying we need to be cocky, but we should walk into any client room with self-respect. We are, after all, the only business that creates something from nothing, and that deserves a certain level of respect for it. Lastly, empowerment is central to my style. I want people to have the freedom to try, fail, and ultimately innovate, but to feel safe while doing it.

Given how outcome-oriented your approach is, how do you balance that intensity with maintaining a culture where people do feel safe to fail and respected while pushing toward ambitious goals?

Respect is hard on work but easy on people. Feedback on work can be brutal, but it’s never personal. That’s essential because otherwise, how do you elevate the quality of work? Additionally, we invest heavily in people’s growth through training and well-being programmes. For example, we’ve launched FCB Academy with partners like Google and Meta to train our people and a mental health initiative for the entire organisation. The culture emphasises accessibility and hierarchy-free collaboration. When you create an environment where everyone’s on the same level, and there’s no pedestal for seniority, it builds a true sense of belonging. My role often involves reminding people it’s a marathon, not a sprint—so while we’re outcome-focused, we’re not in a rush. Our global leadership isn’t expecting overnight results; it’s about building a solid foundation over time.

Has becoming a CEO changed your perspective on the industry or required you to rethink your approach?

Definitely. As a planner, you’re more of a vertical specialist—focused on insight, strategy, and your immediate team. When I ran APAC strategy, my leadership team was 25 people, and I was very much focused on crafting a perfect deck. But as a CEO, you shift to a horizontal perspective. Suddenly, everything from air conditioning quality to revenue, awards, creative output, and even washroom standards are your responsibility. You’re no longer obsessed with just one vertical but rather balancing an entire dashboard of metrics. I’ve also had to engineer myself to be more outward-facing. Where once I’d spend an entire party talking to one person, now I make an effort to be approachable, dance in front of my team if need be, and smile through the challenges. It’s also a mindset shift—as CEO, you don’t have the luxury to complain. You’ve got to bring positive energy every day, regardless of what happened yesterday.

You’ve touched on talent and the need to retain and grow it. How are you addressing the challenges of attracting top talent in today’s industry, where many prefer roles in tech, consulting, or start-ups?

Talent is a crucial focus area. I believe we need to get the best talent back into advertising, and that starts with giving younger talent real responsibility from day one. I remember a story that really impacted me: One of my leaders had a medical emergency, and the doctor who managed the whole case was just three years into her career. If she could handle a medical emergency, surely we can field young people in front of clients and pitches. In the KFC pitch [recently won by FCB], we put two young people front and centre, one of whom had never presented to a client before, and they were a key part of why we won. I’ve made it a priority to take young talent seriously, pay them well, give them visibility, and empower them. That’s how you build an innovative, dynamic organisation.

What do you think clinched the KFC win for FCB?

It was a combination of factors. Firstly, the team’s energy. This was a four-round pitch, and maintaining that energy and creativity each round isn’t something you can fake. Secondly, the camaraderie and chemistry within the team stood out. The clients saw the direction FCB is taking and felt aligned with it. And, of course, our creative work and strategic thinking were fantastic. We presented an entire design language module, which was a big winner. It was a tough pitch during a time of transition, with some senior leaders exiting, so it was a testament to the team’s resilience.

What do you say to those who feel you won by being competitive on price?

I think it’s disrespectful to imply that a brand like KFC would choose an agency based solely on price. These are some of the most respected clients in the industry, and it’s simplistic to think they’d move away from a 25-year relationship based on cost. That kind of thinking underestimates the sophistication of today’s clients.

Do you think an ad agency can really solve a company’s business problem beyond just delivering campaigns?

Absolutely. Take the automotive industry’s 'range anxiety' for electric vehicles—it’s a significant barrier to adoption. Our creative ideas aim to solve that anxiety for clients. Another example is getting people in India to pay for music on Spotify, something they’ve traditionally accessed for free. Creativity is an economic multiplier, and we believe it can drive real business solutions. So, we approach clients asking about their business problems, not just their campaign needs, and we’re building creative ideas that address those challenges directly.

In terms of FCB’s focus, do you see more potential with local clients or global players?

About 90–95% of our business comes from local clients, even if some are global brands. Most of our relationships have been built and nurtured in India. Clients increasingly want an integrated offering—they’re tired of coordinating multiple agencies. So, the ability to offer high-end strategy, mainline creative, digital, CRM, production, and digital media all under one P&L is a significant advantage. Clients don’t just want a collection of services; they want best-in-class capabilities throughout.

Does AI play a role in this integrated approach?

Hugely. We’re already using AI in CRM to personalise responses in the brand’s voice and personality. Our internal processes are also becoming AI-driven—for instance, client presentations and mock-ups are increasingly generated through AI. AI is transforming how we work and elevates our capabilities across the board.

Do you see other agencies as competitors?

Not really. I’m proud of the work being done across the industry. This is a generation of leaders who back each other. After the KFC pitch, another agency leader and I were at the airport together, laughing and chatting—we’re all friends in this. When I see great work from Ogilvy, Dentsu, or anywhere else, I’m genuinely happy for them. This industry needs us to support each other because, if we don’t, we all risk losing out. We’re not competitive in the cutthroat sense; we want each other to succeed.

For anyone interested in working with you, what advice would you give?

I’d say that working with me involves a lot of hard work, but it’s incredibly rewarding. Many people from my last organisation have joined me here because they believe in what we’re building. And I take pride in the fact that they weren’t recruited actively; they chose to come on board. People are drawn to this vision because it’s future-facing, meritocratic, and committed to real change in the industry.

What’s one thing you’ve yet to learn?

The future. Every day, I wake up feeling there’s so much more to absorb. AI, for instance—how advertising uses AI today is so different from healthcare using it to detect cancer. I feel a constant sense of lack, which keeps me driven. I’m always trying to catch up and build for the future, and that hunger and insecurity are what I bring to the team each day.

Finally, what’s the personal legacy you’d like to leave on this industry?

A friend once said that leaders open the sky for others to fly, and that’s my mantra. I want to leave behind leaders who’ve grown with me, who I’ve rubbed shoulders with, and who’ve added to my journey as much as I’ve contributed to theirs. The legacy isn’t about me—it’s about building a model where creativity thrives and is genuinely valued as a business driver. If I can build an organisation that proves creativity can be profitable, meritocratic, and able to attract the best talent, that would be a win not only for FCB but for the industry as a whole.