Monks India, S4 Capital’s operating brand in India has appointed Ketan Desai to lead Monks in a new era as its Managing Director.
He brings over 20 years of agency leadership experience, most recently serving as WPP Grey’s Chief Operating Officer. Desai joins Monks on 03 February 2025 and will report to Kenny Griffiths, Managing Director, APAC at Monks.
“We are excited to have Ketan Desai join us at a pivotal time for Monks in India. His extensive strategic experience in connecting India’s local strengths with global scale, will accelerate plans to grow our India business and deliver on our model that helps clients navigate complexity and transforms the economics of marketing,” says Kenny Griffiths, Managing Director, APAC at Monks.
Desai’s appointment represents a strategic shift for Monks in India, answering marketers’ need for a new vision and ecosystem to help them solve the complexity of today’s industry.
“Ketan Desai’s addition to the Monk’s leadership team marks a defining moment for our India operations,” said Bruno Lambertini, CEO of Marketing Services at Monks. “India is an important market for us, not only driving local growth but also serving as a hub for the region. The growth we’ve been able to achieve has set the stage for this next chapter. As we move from initiation to scaling, Ketan’s expertise in delivering scaled marketing solutions for India’s top clients will be instrumental in seamlessly integrating our vision for marketing and technology, helping marketers simplify complexity, innovate, and overcome their business challenges.”
It is an evolution of a mission initiated since the genesis of Monks in India. This started with the merger of WhiteBalance in 2019. Robert Godinho, who founded Whitebalance ten years before the combination, has led Monks India’s studio for over five years, most recently serving as Managing Director.
“As an original founder whose company merged with S4’s Monks, I will always be invested in its growth and success. This journey has been exhilarating and enlightening, building the India hub with artists collaborating on global work. My proudest achievement has been building the domestic business over the past year. I’m proud to say that in 2024, we’ve successfully integrated and aligned the organization with our global vision,” says Robert Godinho, outgoing Monks India Managing Director.
Godinho will move on to a new challenge, after 15 years of an entrepreneurial journey. Monks thanks Godinho for his leadership over this time and wish him every success in his journey. He will stay on for a sufficient time to onboard Desai and ensure a smooth transition.
