Mumbai: The Advertising Agencies Association of India has announced that the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award for 2023 will be conferred on advertising veteran Shashi Sinha. This is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for his/ her outstanding contribution to the Advertising Industry.
With nearly four decades in the advertising industry, Sinha is seasoned professional and has dedicated the majority of his career to a single agency group. In a leadership span of 25 years, he progressed from being the head of Media at FCB Ulka to the CEO of all media units under IPG Media Brands in 2013. As CEO, he orchestrated a remarkable turnaround, transforming a little known media group into the most respectable entity among all IPG business units in India. This success elevated the global standing of IPG Media Brands. Simultaneously, his enduring stewardship of Amul for over 37 years attests to the high regard in which he is held. Beyond corporate achievements, he played a pivotal role in the sevenfold growth of Interactive Avenues, a digital agency acquired during his tenure. His emphasis on human resources ensured the retention of original founders within the leadership team at MB agencies. Notably, MB agencies, apart from Group M, are the only media agencies to have received Agency of the Year Awards at prestigious local shows like Emvies and Goafest Abbies.
Renowned for his active presence and guidance in various industry bodies, including roles as the current Chairman of BARC, former President of the Ad Club and former Chairman of ABC and MRUC. His involvement in ASCI, and contributions to IRS editions and AAAI further exemplify his commitment to influencing the advertising landscape. He has also been Chairman of the Awards Governing Council at Goafest. Beyond his professional life, he contributes to social causes through advisory roles in organizations like Akhand Jyoti Charitable Trust and TRRAIN Foundation, focusing on healthcare for curable blindness and supporting the training and placement of people with disabilities in the retail sector.
Making the announcement, AAAI president Prasanth Kumar said, “Shashi Sinha’s journey in advertising is an inspiring narrative of leadership, innovation, and resilience. As the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Awardee for 2023, he exemplifies decades of transformative impact, steering media entities to unparalleled success. His tenure as CEO at IPG Media Brands marked a turnaround that elevated industry standards, making it the most profitable entity under IPG in India. Beyond corporate milestones, Shashi’s commitment to industry bodies and social causes is laudable. His achievements reflect not just professional excellence but a deep-seated passion for shaping the advertising landscape and contributing meaningfully to societal progress. Shashi Sinha is truly deserving of this honour.”
AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee, chairperson Anupriya Acharya remarked, “No one deserves this prestigious honor more than Shashi. While his success in advertising is remarkable, his contributions to the industry at large are nothing short of exemplary. It is no surprise therefore, that the entire committee unanimously agreed to bestow this award upon Shashi, recognizing his outstanding achievements and significant impact on the advertising landscape.”
The AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to an individual who has been a practitioner of advertising for twenty-five years and had been in the top management position; has been or continues to be an active participant in industry bodies and or made significant contributions in shaping the industry priorities which enabled the advertising industry to grow, prosper and become more professionalized; individual known for his integrity, ethical practice and leadership qualities; contributed to his Company/Companies growth by innovative thinking and taking them in newer directions; involved in projects of social consequence which is seen as a role model for the industry at large and had been an industry veteran.
Some of the past winners of this award include Subhas Ghosal, Alyque Padamsee, Mike Khanna, R K Swamy, Piyush Pandey, Sam Balsara, Prem Mehta, Roda Mehta, Ram Sehgal, Madhukar Kamath, Arvind Sharma, Colvyn Harris and others.
