VML has named Rakesh Chawla as CEO of its Enterprise Solutions Hub in India, strengthening its global technology and innovation capabilities. Chawla, who has led major tech teams at Microsoft and Amazon, will drive engineering excellence, AI-led solutions and scalable delivery as the Hub expands its role in transforming client businesses worldwide.
In a move that underscores its ambition to build one of the world’s most powerful tech–creative ecosystems, VML has appointed Rakesh Chawla as CEO of its Enterprise Solutions Hub (ES Hub) in India. The announcement signals a decisive step in strengthening the agency’s capability to deliver technology-driven business solutions at global scale, blending engineering depth with creative problem-solving at a moment when brands are seeking sharper, faster and more measurable innovation. Chawla, a seasoned technology leader with a track record across some of the world’s largest digital organisations, will take charge of one of VML’s fastest-growing technology hubs, responsible for unlocking advanced solutions for clients in every major market.
The ES Hub operates as a global centre of excellence, supporting VML teams in strategy, creativity and technology through one integrated engine. As brands race to adopt emerging technologies—from automation to agentic and generative AI—the Hub is designed to bring world-class engineering, delivery excellence and rapid experimentation under one structure. Chawla, who has built and scaled high-performing teams at Microsoft, Amazon, Sears and IBM, is now tasked with taking that mission forward: expanding engineering capabilities, strengthening global delivery operations, and shaping a human-first technology culture in an era defined by AI transformation.
For VML, one of the world’s largest creative companies, the appointment comes at a time when clients increasingly expect partners to solve complex business challenges with speed, precision and accountability. They are no longer looking only for creative storytelling or digital campaigns—they want end-to-end product innovation, intelligent platforms, experience ecosystems and technology models that shift business outcomes. By elevating the ES Hub under Chawla’s leadership, VML is signalling that it intends to lead this new frontier where creativity and technology converge.
YiChung Tay, CEO of VML APAC, said the appointment will give clients “greater access to cutting-edge technology and creative thinking delivered with precision,” adding that Chawla’s experience will raise the bar for partnership and business outcomes across VML’s regional and global markets. Tay emphasised that the integration of advanced engineering with human-centred design is becoming essential for organisations seeking sustainable growth. Chawla’s presence, he said, gives VML the leadership required to scale that vision.
Chawla’s experience makes him uniquely equipped for the responsibility. As per The Economic Times, he has built Global Delivery Centres, nurtured high-performing engineering cultures and helped large organisations pivot toward digital transformation. His leadership style—structured yet people-first—aligns closely with the ES Hub’s mission: to blend innovation with empathy, ensuring that technology helps businesses move faster without losing the human touch that ultimately shapes customer experience. On taking charge, Chawla noted that he looks forward to helping clients innovate boldly, move at speed and achieve ambitious goals. The combination of VML’s creative ambition and the Hub’s engineering depth, he said, creates the perfect environment for building solutions that truly advance business and customer impact.
Across industries, Chawla sees a moment of opportunity: companies want to do more than upgrade systems or digitise processes. They want to unlock new revenue streams, reduce operational friction, reinvent customer journeys and build intelligent workflows that operate with autonomy. Agentic AI—systems capable of reasoning and acting dynamically—will be central to that reinvention. VML’s ES Hub aims to be one of the world’s leading centres for such AI-driven innovation, supporting clients from concept to deployment.
As a global centre of excellence, the ES Hub collaborates with strategists, creatives and technologists across VML’s network of markets, allowing clients—no matter their geography—to access scalable solutions customised to their needs. Whether it is building next-generation commerce systems, designing AI-powered customer service platforms, rearchitecting data estates or developing new product experiences, the Hub enables VML teams to deliver integrated solutions backed by engineering assurance.
According to Symon Hammacott, Chief Experience Officer for VML APAC, clients now seek partners who understand their challenges and deliver meaningful, measurable results, not merely technology for technology’s sake. The ES Hub, he said, puts innovation and people at the centre—ensuring that bold ideas are not only imagined but delivered at enterprise scale. That combination of creativity and rigour is what modern businesses demand, and what differentiates the Hub within VML’s global network.
The timing of Chawla’s appointment is also significant. Around the world, companies are undergoing rapid digital acceleration, investing heavily in platforms, AI, cloud transformation and experience modernisation. India, in particular, has emerged as a global technology powerhouse—rich with engineering talent, product innovation, and the kind of scale demanded by multinational brands. By anchoring one of its most important global hubs in India, VML is betting on the country’s leadership in engineering, data and next-generation AI.
For Chawla, the ES Hub’s mandate goes beyond project execution. It is about building an ecosystem where creativity informs technology, technology amplifies creativity, and both work together to solve real business challenges. In his view, the future of innovation lies in this hybrid approach—neither creative nor technical alone, but an intelligent fusion of both. Rising expectations from customers, the evolution of digital platforms and the demands of global markets require integrated solutions that operate seamlessly across systems, channels and markets.
Under his leadership, the ES Hub is expected to scale its capabilities in three areas: engineering excellence, AI-driven innovation and integrated global delivery. This includes strengthening teams, accelerating experimentation pipelines, developing proprietary tools and building strategic partnerships that expand what VML can offer clients worldwide. The Hub will continue to collaborate with VML’s strategists and creative leaders, ensuring that solutions are grounded in insight, executed with technical mastery and measured by business impact.
Chawla sees the potential for India not just to support but to lead global digital transformation work. With VML’s integrated global model, he aims to transform the ES Hub into a centre that sets benchmarks for quality, innovation and responsiveness—offering clients around the world an engine of continuous transformation.
With his appointment, VML signals confidence in India’s technology leadership, the power of integrated creative-tech solutions and the value of human-first engineering at a time when AI is reshaping business at every level. Chawla now steps into a role that not only defines the next chapter of the ES Hub, but also strengthens VML’s ambition to be the most future-facing creative company in the world—where ideas meet engineering, and where innovation becomes a measurable driver of growth.
