The Advertising Club has opened its 2026-27 term by re-electing Dheeraj Sinha as President. Sinha, who leads McCann India and is part of Omnicom Advertising India, begins his second consecutive year in the role after the Club’s 72nd Annual General Meeting in Mumbai.
The announcement also names the full Managing Committee. Amitesh Rao joins as Vice President, Ajay Kakar as Secretary, Sonia Huria as Joint Secretary and Pradeep Dwivedi as Treasurer. Rana Barua continues as Immediate Past President.
Not the same committee, just the same captain
A re-election can look like a vote for the status quo, but the new Managing Committee is broader than a single agency. The line-up includes leaders from advertising, media, marketing, digital and communications. Co-opted members and special invitees add wider ecosystem voices, which matches Sinha’s stated push to diversify the Club.
“For us, 2026-27 will be the year to amplify this momentum and lead the industry through this change with a strong, collective voice.”
Sinha described the larger shift as “change with continuity”: holding on to seven decades of legacy while updating membership, voices and events for current times.
Why continuity is a signal
For marketing professionals, the second term matters because industry bodies shape recognition, learning and the conversations that eventually influence budgets and talent movement. Continuity at the top means the Club is likely to keep expanding its engagement platforms rather than pausing to re-strategise.
The 2026-27 agenda points to:
- Stronger member engagement and expanded opportunities
- Capability building and knowledge programmes
- Adapting the Club to a changing advertising and marketing landscape
What a marketer can do with this
Treat the committee list as a map of who is shaping Indian adland’s agenda this year. If you want a seat at that table, show up early. Industry bodies reward consistent participation at events, panels and working committees, not occasional peeking when an award deadline arrives.
Trade bodies are also a low-cost professional growth channel. Early-career marketers can build a cross-company reputation, while mid-career leaders can shape awards, knowledge agendas and policy conversations that affect the wider ecosystem.
A simple frame: use the Club as a learning network first and a credential later. That is the same change-with-continuity logic applied to your own career.
Source: MediaNews4U
