DigitasLBi promotes Himani Kapadia to Chief Operating Officer, Asia-Pacific

Publicis Groupe-owned global marketing and technology agency DigitasLBi has promoted Himani Kapadia to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific.

Based in Mumbai, Kapadia will report to Asia Pacific Chief Executive Roy Capon and will assume responsibility for helping manage the continued growth of DigitasLBi throughout the region.

Kapadia, formerly Managing Director of DigitasLBi in India, will also be charged with driving greater efficiencies across the business by supporting DigitasLBi’s unique ‘centres of excellence’ model via a single profit and loss structure spanning 17 offices in six markets across Asia Pacific.

Capon said: “Himani has been a key driver for DigitasLBi India’s business and its sustained growth for the past few years. Her ability to attract great talent and grow a successful, award-winning, profitable business in India is testament to that.

As well as overseeing DigitasLBi’s operations across Asia Pacific, Kapadia’s new role will see her concentrate on optimising the agency’s fast-growing talent base to ensure clients have access to the best possible talent no matter where they are located in the region.

“DigitasLBi’s uniquely diverse skill-set means that being able to create a flexible and highly mobile talent base throughout the region is vital to our clients, our continued growth and our blended business model. Himani will play a pivotal role in continuing to grow our business across Asia Pacific,” added Capon.

With over 22 years’ experience from financial auditing to managing an agency, Kapadia brings a unique understanding of business, finance, strategy, technology, leadership and management to her new role. Having been Managing Director of DigitasLBi India since 2010, she has successfully grown the company into one of the country’s largest digital marketing and technology agencies, employing over 300 digital specialists in three major cities.

Meanwhile, Amaresh Godbole has been promoted to the role of Managing Director, India, with responsibility for helping transform clients’ businesses, and continuing to expand the agency’s growing service offering.

Capon said: “This is a well-deserved promotion for Amaresh who wholly supports our strategy to nurture and grow our talent from within. He has rightly been recognised as a key industry figure in India and plays a crucial role in the growth of our business, expanding and maturing our capabilities, building our culture and ensuring that we provide the best possible services in India. He has demonstrated over the last six years that he is a strong leader who is well respected by clients, colleagues and the industry.”

Godbole joined LBi in 2009 and was later promoted to Head of Agency and Strategy, where he was instrumental in bringing on board a number of major clients and setting the digital agenda for brands including Johnson & Johnson, Tata Motors, and Budweiser.

Both Godbole and Kapadia were recently recognised in Campaign Asia-Pacific’s “Top 10 Most Admired Agency Leaders” in 2014.