Africa leads boldly as dentsu welcomes new global CEO

Takeshi Sano

His appointment underscores dentsu’s commitment to client trust, integrated growth solutions, creativity, innovation, and people-centred transformation. We congratulate him on this new role and look forward to the clarity and integration he will bring across markets.

While global transformation is underway, Africa is not waiting for permission. Our region is already building, innovating, and leading on our own terms. Founded and driven by entrepreneurs across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana, and Francophone Africa, our heartbeat is African. Dentsu is our partner, but our strength lies in African ownership, accountability, and cultural intelligence.

Africa is one of the youngest, most connected, and most entrepreneurial regions in the world. Consumers demand relevance, speed, and authenticity. That is why our innovations are born here, not imported. Merkury, re-engineered for African audiences, is transforming how brands connect with over two hundred million precisely profiled consumers. And now COPO (Consumer in Your Pocket) is our latest leap forward, giving marketers instant access to actionable insights that reshape campaigns and sharpen pitches. These are African solutions, designed for African challenges.

Global insight matters, but local truths define success. A campaign in Nairobi is different from one in New York. A mother shopping in Lagos does not behave like one in London. Our teams live this reality, and our innovations reflect it. From COPO to Merkury, from the dentsu School of Influence to our Talent Incubators, we are shaping industries, not just serving them.

Our purpose is ruthless and unwavering: to transform Africa through solutions built by African entrepreneurs for African consumers. We are bold, resilient, entrepreneurial, and scaling with intention. Africa is not waiting for permission, and neither is dentsu under its new global leadership.