Reckoned as one of India’s most renowned creative professionals, Santosh Padhi aka Paddy, who had joined Wieden+Kennedy India as Chief Creative Officer in early 2022 after making an exit from Taproot (now part of Dentsu Creative India) his brainchild, has now parted ways from W+K in the pursuit of searching his ‘new love’.
Taproot, the mighty creative force co-founded by Agnello Dias aka and Paddy was partially (51%) acquired by Dentsu in 2012, followed by a 100% stake buyout in 2019.
Joining Paddy shortly at Wieden+ Kennedy India in 2022 was Ayesha Ghosh who came onboard as the agency’s President and the two together then went on to open W+K’s office in Mumbai, and oversaw creative and business operations across Mumbai and Delhi.
Now, it is not just Paddy and Ghosh who have rendered their resignations at the agency but also Shreekant Srinivasan, Head of Delhi, W+K India, who has decided to part ways from the agency
Since then, both of the agency’s offices combinedly have created campaigns for brands like Jio 5G, Jio Fibre, Hero Vida, Jockey, Jindal Steel, Casio G-Shock, Hero Cycles, Firefox, Zoya Solitaires, Brownkind Skin care and Whistle dental care among others.
Commenting on his exit from Wieden+ Kennedy India, Paddy, the outgoing CCO of W+K India, said, “I came into the W+K family with lots of excitement as I always followed their amazing work during my taproot days. I’m super proud that along with Ayesha and the solid team we managed to get some of the biggest brands in the nation, and had success on every front, be it people, reputation or clientele. We won over a dozen businesses and have managed to produce some beautiful work on the brands mentioned above. Not only me but we all really enjoyed the freedom the global team gave us on every front with total autonomy and many other wonderful things which I will always remember.”
“Unfortunately like most senior creative individuals, even my heart is calling for something beyond this, something new, something that will give me a newer high, I have to depart in search of a new love,” he added.
Similarly, Ghosh, the outgoing President of W+K India, also said, “The last 2.5 years have been quite exhilarating, right from stepping into this legendary agency, to setting up the Mumbai office, stabilizing and growing the Delhi office, delivering good results and adapting the unique W+K culture to India. Within a little over half a year of joining, it was satisfying to see the impact of our leadership. This wouldn’t have been possible without the passion and hard work of our employees. Every interaction with the W+K crew around the globe has opened my mind to new ways of thinking and new ways of measuring the worth of the work that we do. I hope I get to work with such a smart set of people again.”
“I’ve been meaning to pause for a while, dedicate more time to yoga and spend time with family. As for what comes next, I’ll see what the universe throws my way,” she added.
Sharing the agency’s statement on the top exits, Wieden+ Kennedy India, mentioned, “We are grateful to Paddy and Ayesha for their efforts during these past two and a half years as they set up an office in Mumbai and brought in new energy and clients. We wish them all the best as they move on from the agency and take their talents into the world.”
