Cheil South West Asia (SWA) has announced the elevation of Kumar Awanish as the group’s chief operating officer.
 
Transitioning from his role as chief growth officer, Awanish will now lead the group’s operational strategy. 

He will report to the recently appointed president and CEO, Sungkyoon Kim. 

Based at the agency’s Gurugram headquarters, Awanish will be instrumental in mapping the next phase of the group’s evolution.

In his expanded remit, he will also champion the group’s commitment to operational excellence, fostering seamless collaboration across the group. 

He will be at the forefront of the agency’s journey towards becoming an AI-first organisation, ensuring that Cheil SWA blends cutting-edge technology and data with its signature creativity to provide clients with truly innovative, future-proof business solutions.

Kim said, “Cheil SWA is ushering in a new phase of advertising transformation led by AI. Kumar Awanish has the right skill set and experience to lead the group into this dynamic journey. He is passionate about the Cheil SWA group, and his enthusiasm for work is contagious. I wish him the best in his new role, and I am looking forward to his second innings at Cheil SWA group." 

Awanish added,” I am incredibly grateful to our global and local leadership for their trust in me to drive our vision forward. We are on a mission to double down on AI literacy across all functions and group agencies, empowering our people to use AI not just for efficiency, but as a catalyst for human creativity.  By blending advanced capabilities with human ingenuity, we are architecting the future of Cheil SWA. This evolution is strengthened by the reunion of media and creative, ensuring that an agency of our scale remains agile and delivers the holistic, full-funnel impact our clients deserve."