Ashish Williams appointed SVP, Media at Publicis Groupe Africa

Publicis Groupe Africa today announced the appointment of Ashish Williams as Senior Vice President, Media, reinforcing the Groupe’s commitment to delivering innovative, future-fit media solutions across the continent.

‘Ashish joins us at an exciting moment,’ said Koo Govender, CEO of Publicis Groupe Africa. ‘His global experience, digital-first mindset and deep understanding of both the South African and wider African markets position him perfectly to lead the next chapter of growth for our media business. We’re excited to welcome him back.’

Ashish returns to South Africa from Singapore, where he served as Managing Director at EssenceMediacom, playing a key role in enhancing the agency’s digital and data-led capabilities. Prior to this, Ashish was Chief Executive Officer of MediaCom South Africa for five years, where he was instrumental in scaling the business and driving innovation.

‘I am very excited to be returning to South Africa and probably even more excited to be joining Publicis, who I have been admiring from the sidelines for a few years now,’ said Ashish Williams. ‘I am also very excited to work with Koo Govender, as one of the top female leaders in our industry. It will be an honour to work with her and her executive team.’

In his new role, Ashish will report directly to Koo Govender and work closely with the leadership team to shape a more integrated, data-driven and client-centric media offering. This leadership transition also marks an opportunity to acknowledge Celia Collins, who held the SVP Media role for the past three years.

‘We are deeply grateful to Celia for her exceptional leadership and contributions to the business,’ said Koo. ‘She has played a key role in shaping and growing our media practice. As we pass the baton, we do so with gratitude to Celia.’