Srikant Sastri to step down as Vivaki country chair

Srikant Sastri, country chair – India at Vivaki since 2008, will step down from the role on 1 July 2013.

In a prepared statement, Frank Voris, CEO, VivaKi, said Sastri will continue to serve in a consulting capacity for Publicis Groupe in the near term, while also nurturing start ups in India and Asia-Pacific as an independent investor and operating partner. Vivaki has said it has initiated the search for Sastri's successor.

“Srikant has successfully orchestrated three acquisitions and integrations that have simultaneously fortified the founding Vivaki agencies, while also solidifying Publicis Groupe's position as the leading digital marketing operation in India,” said Voris.

He disclosed that Sastri had expressed a desire to work with start-ups several months ago, but stayed on to help the organisation on-board acquired companies Neev, Resultrix and Convonix. “We are grateful for all he's done for Vivaki and wish him the best success in his next endeavor,” he added,

Sastri will continue to work closely with Vivaki and also with Razorfish and DigitasLBi in a consulting capacity, the statement added. For Publicis Groupe, he will evaluate emerging opportunities, exploring tech start-ups that can benefit the agencies of Publicis Groupe and their clients. He will also serve as a connector to potential clients, talent and partners, and advise Vincent Digonnet, executive chairman of Razorfish and DigitasLBi networks, APAC, on creation of shared capabilities across the two agencies.

On the development, Sastri said, “I've successfully completed a big mandate in India and I am absolutely thrilled that we achieved the goal we set for ourselves 18 months ago - driving digital dominance in India through organic growth and three key acquisitions. We are now twice the size of our largest competitor. With this mission accomplished, I'd like to focus more on three areas that I am passionate about. In addition to working with start-ups, I intend to foster the Indian start-up eco-system by actively leading key initiatives at professional and trade bodies, including The Indus Entrepreneurs (TIE) and Indian Angel Network. I will also help drive the growth of ventures that are focused on social enterprises and other Indian development issues."

Prior to joining Vivaki, Sastri served as managing director at Solutions Integrated Marketing Services (Solutions | Digitas).