Josy Paul will remain Chief of BBDO India following the Omnicom–IPG merger, ensuring leadership continuity at one of India’s most influential agencies. A Cannes SDG Lions Jury President and upcoming Clio PR Jury Chair, Paul’s retention underscores the importance of culturally grounded, purpose-led creative leadership.
Josy Paul will continue to lead BBDO India as Chief following the merger of Omnicom and IPG, a decision that signals stability and confidence in one of India’s most respected creative leaders at a moment of significant global industry change. As agency networks across the world recalibrate in response to consolidation, Paul’s retention underscores the value of continuity, institutional memory and culturally grounded leadership in navigating the next phase of growth.
The Omnicom–IPG merger represents a structural reshaping of the global advertising and communications landscape, bringing together vast creative, media and technology capabilities under one umbrella. In India, where the advertising ecosystem is both deeply competitive and culturally nuanced, leadership decisions carry particular weight. By continuing with Paul at the helm of BBDO India, the merged organisation has chosen to reinforce an identity built carefully over years—one that places ideas, effectiveness and social relevance at the centre of creative output.
Under Paul’s stewardship, BBDO India has established itself as a creative force known for marrying strategic clarity with deep cultural and social insight. The agency’s work has consistently demonstrated an ability to engage with India’s complexities, whether through campaigns rooted in social purpose, brand storytelling that reflects lived realities, or strategic thinking that delivers long-term value to clients. This balance between creativity and responsibility has become a hallmark of BBDO India’s reputation, distinguishing it in a crowded marketplace.
Paul’s career spans decades of transformation in Indian advertising, from the era of traditional mass media dominance to today’s fragmented, digital-first landscape. Throughout these shifts, he has maintained a clear creative philosophy: that powerful ideas must be anchored in human truth. This approach has enabled BBDO India to stay relevant even as consumer behaviour, technology and brand expectations have evolved rapidly.
Widely regarded as one of the most respected figures in Indian advertising, Paul’s influence extends well beyond his agency. His induction into the Advertising Club Calcutta Hall of Fame in 2020 recognised his longstanding contributions to the industry, celebrating not just individual campaigns but a body of work that has helped shape the creative and ethical direction of Indian advertising. The honour positioned him among a select group of leaders whose impact has been both enduring and transformative.
Paul’s stature has also been reinforced on the global stage, where his perspectives on creativity, culture and purpose have resonated strongly. In 2025, he was appointed Jury President for the Sustainable Development Goals Lions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, one of the industry’s most influential roles. The appointment reflected growing global recognition of his commitment to work that goes beyond commercial success to address broader societal challenges.
At Cannes, the SDG Lions category occupies a unique space, evaluating ideas not only on creative merit but also on their contribution to social and environmental progress. Paul’s leadership in this role highlighted his belief that creativity can and should be a force for good—an outlook that has long informed BBDO India’s work. His presence at the helm of such a category also amplified India’s voice in shaping global conversations about responsible creativity.
That international influence will continue into 2026, when Paul is set to serve as Jury Chair for the Public Relations category at the Clio Awards. The Clio appointment further cements his role as a key global arbiter of creative standards, particularly in a discipline where reputation, narrative and authenticity are increasingly critical. Public relations, once seen as a supporting function, now sits at the heart of brand strategy, intersecting with culture, media and public discourse—a space where Paul’s experience is particularly relevant.
Taken together, these global jury roles reflect more than personal recognition; they illustrate how Indian creative leadership is increasingly shaping international benchmarks. Paul’s perspectives, informed by operating in one of the world’s most diverse and demanding markets, bring a distinctive lens to global judging panels—one that values context, intent and impact alongside craft.
Within India, his continued leadership at BBDO comes at a time when agencies face mounting pressures from multiple directions. Clients are demanding faster turnaround times, sharper accountability and demonstrable business results. At the same time, agencies are navigating talent challenges, technological disruption and heightened expectations around diversity, inclusion and sustainability. In this environment, steady leadership becomes a strategic asset.
Paul’s track record suggests an ability to manage these competing demands without losing sight of creative ambition. BBDO India’s work under his guidance has often engaged with pressing social issues, reflecting a belief that brands can play a meaningful role in public conversations without appearing opportunistic. This sensitivity has helped the agency build trust—not just with clients, but also with audiences increasingly sceptical of superficial messaging.
The decision to retain Paul also sends a message to talent within the agency and the broader industry. In a period of uncertainty following a major global merger, continuity at the top can reassure teams and reinforce a sense of shared purpose. For younger creatives and strategists, Paul represents a leadership model that values thinking, courage and integrity—qualities that are harder to quantify than output metrics but essential for sustaining creative cultures.
Globally, the Omnicom–IPG merger is expected to drive greater integration across disciplines, with creativity increasingly intersecting with data, technology and commerce. In India, where market conditions and consumer behaviours can differ sharply from Western contexts, translating such integration into meaningful work requires leaders who understand both global frameworks and local realities. Paul’s experience positions him well to bridge that gap.
His leadership style has often emphasised clarity—of idea, of intent and of execution. This clarity has been evident in BBDO India’s campaigns that cut through clutter not by being louder, but by being truer to insight. As the merged network looks to unlock efficiencies and scale, maintaining this clarity will be critical to preserving creative distinctiveness.
As Paul continues as Chief of BBDO India, his role is likely to extend beyond managing an agency to shaping how creativity operates within a larger, more complex organisational ecosystem. His global jury appointments suggest that his voice will carry weight not only internally but also in defining industry standards and expectations at a time when advertising is being asked to justify its relevance in new ways.
In retaining Josy Paul, the merged Omnicom–IPG structure appears to be making a deliberate statement: that amid consolidation and change, leadership grounded in culture, creativity and conscience remains invaluable. For BBDO India, it ensures continuity of vision. For the wider industry, it reinforces the idea that enduring creative leadership still matters—even, and perhaps especially, in times of transformation.
