Hiroshi Igarashi to step in as CEO of Dentsu Group as Toshihiro Yamamoto retires

As per the latest development, Toshihiro Yamamoto to retire from roles of President and CEO, Dentsu Group Inc. and Hiroshi Igarashi to succeed as President and CEO, Dentsu Group Inc., effective January 1, 2022.

Dentsu Group Inc. today announced a new management structure and changes to the Board, to lead dentsu into the next stage of growth. The changes will support dentsu to achieve the goals of the medium-term management plan ending in FY2024 and drive continued sustainable growth in the years ahead.

Tim Andree will retire from an executive role to take on the role of Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, effective after the approval of his appointment as a director at the Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting (AGSM) to be held in March 2022. This reflects a new management structure where the Chairman and CEO/President roles are separated. Andree’s extensive experience with Japan-based multinationals and contributions throughout his tenure to expanding dentsu global operations make him well-suited to the Chairman role. His focus will be on driving collaboration, alignment, and continued sustainable growth.

Toshihiro Yamamoto, Chairman of the Board, Representative Director and President and CEO, Dentsu Group Inc., will transition the Executive Officer responsibilities of President and CEO to Hiroshi Igarashi, effective January 1, 2022. Yamamoto will retire from the Chairman and Representative Director roles effective after the approval of AGSM to be held in March 2022. Effective the same day, Hiroshi Igarashi will become Representative Director, in addition to his Executive roles of President and CEO.

Yamamoto, who has led dentsu for five years said his retirement comes at an appropriate time, following the diversification of dentsu which has included the completion of the integration of Merkle; the pivot to data, insights, and consumer intelligence; as well as overseeing the transformation of the business and a return to growth. Yamamoto has always been clear about dentsu’s responsibility to society – “we exist to realize a better society by
contributing to the growth of our clients, partners, people, and all consumers.”

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“These changes are designed to strengthen governance and advance the reforms and transformation that dentsu has established, to achieve sustainable growth and increase corporate value for Dentsu Group Inc. I have been the proud custodian of dentsu for five years and I am confident that Igarashi, Wendy, and Kuretani will lead our people, our clients, and our business into a new and exciting chapter of change,” Yamamoto said.

Incoming President and CEO, Igarashi said he was delighted and honored to be appointed to the role and carry forward the strong legacy of an iconic global company with roots in
Japan.

“We have a wonderful opportunity to continue building business in partnership with our clients, powered by our unique dentsu blend of creativity, innovation, and customer-centricity,” he said. Management of dentsu international (DI) will remain under the leadership of Wendy Clark, who has steered the business back to growth. Over the 14 months in the role, she has led the transformation of DI to become the most integrated network in the world through simplifying the business around clients and optimizing 160 agency brands to six global leadership brands.

“These changes will only reinforce the progress we’ve made and strengthen our vision to partner with our clients to drive impact for them, for their customers, and for society,” she said.

Norihiro Kuretani will step into the role of President and CEO, dentsu japan network (DJN); he succeeds in this position from the role of Director, Executive Vice President of Dentsu Inc. Kuretani will work to drive DJN’s ABCDX strategy which focuses on positioning the organization as an integrated growth partner to clients. He has been a key figure in the digitalization of DJN, most notably serving on the board of Dentsu Digital. Over the past 2 years, he has played an active role in driving forward the DJN strategy which has included the increased stake in Septeni Group, this further strengthens the alliance to make it the most advanced digital marketing partner, for clients in Japan.